This week the state is to begin replacing speed-limit signs on rural highways. No longer will these humongous 18-wheelers driving through Arkansas be required to go slower than cars. That restriction will be gone with those 70/65 road signs.
Hmmm. The story about the change in last Thursday's paper mentioned that studies indicate that the faster a heavy truck moves, the longer it takes to stop. The only question that detail raised for us: It took a study to figure that out?
The folks at the Highway Department say the change will speed up traffic flow. Truckers say they want everybody to play by the same rules. Besides, states around Arkansas don't have different speed limits for big trucks and ordinary cars, so why should Arkansas?
The good news is that fatalities on Arkansas' highways have dropped to historic lows in the last few years. So why change speed limits just now? Those of us who use rural interstates haven't noticed any problem with traffic flow. Let's see how this change works out in practice.
Yes, now that big trucks will be able to zip along between Texarkana and Arkadelphia as fast as everybody else, let's see the results, if any. It's worth a try. Speed-limit signs that can be changed can be changed back again.
Editorial on 03/16/2015