the breakdown
- Arizona bill proposes removing daytime speed limits on some rural interstates.
- One-year pilot planned on I-8 to study safety impacts.
- Arizona would become the first state with derestricted speed zones.
Arizona lawmakers want to eliminate speed limits—at least on some stretches of road. A new proposal by State Representative Nick Kupper aims to create "derestricted speed zones" on certain rural interstates throughout the state.
Kupper is proposing the Reasonable and Prudent Interstate Driving Act—cleverly known as "RAPID." The bill would drop mandatory speed limits during the day on highways in rural zones with populations of fewer than 50,000 people.
Speed limits would return to 80 miles per hour at night—still 5 miles per hour faster than Arizona’s current speed limits. Commercial vehicles would be restricted to 80 mph at all times, day or night.
Before the bill reaches full approval, legislators are proposing a pilot project. A stretch of Interstate 8 between Casa Grande and Yuma would be designated as a “derestricted speed zone” for one year to see how, or if, it affects accident rates.
Under the new bill, large stretches of Interstates 10, 17, 19, and 40, as well as a segment of I-15 that runs through the northwest corner of Arizona, would also be designated as "derestricted speed zones." The map below shows a portion of highway I-15 that would be unrestricted:
"I fully appreciate the fact that, naturally, your first inclination is, 'That’s craziness—you’re going to kill people,'" Kupper told the Arizona Capitol Times. "However, the data proves otherwise. And I want to do this pilot program to prove that we can actually do this and save lives."
Will Other States Follow?
If passed, Arizona would be the only state with unrestricted speed limits on certain stretches of road. That said, other states have recently proposed speed limit changes on rural highways—though none have proposed removing them entirely.
As of May, nine states have speed limits of at least 80 mph—some even higher. Just this year, North Dakota joined the 80-mph speed limit club by passing a bill allowing 80-mph speed limits on certain stretches of highway throughout the state.
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming all have speed limits over 80 mph on certain highways. Texas has the highest posted speed limit in the country, with an 85-mph limit on a 41-mile stretch of Texas State Highway 130 between SH 45 near Austin and Interstate 10 in Seguin.
Arizona lawmakers point to states like Montana as evidence supporting higher—and potentially eliminated—speed limits. Even with higher speed limits, states such as Montana have not seen significantly higher crash rates.
The bill is expected to head to Arizona’s legislative session in 2026.
Source: via Arizona Capitol Times
