Arizona lawmaker proposes new daytime speed limits on qualifying rural interstates

PHOENIX — A state legislator wants to make it legal for drivers in rural Arizona to pick up the speed across certain interstates.

Arizona Rep. Nick Kupper introduced the legislation, House Bill 2059, which is also known as the Reasonable and Prudent Interstate Driving (RAPID) Act, on Monday.

“Most drivers can tell the difference between a crowded city freeway and a wide-open stretch of rural interstate,” Kupper said in a Monday announcement. “The RAPID Act accounts for that difference.”

If passed, the law would authorize the Arizona Department of Transportation to remove speed limits for passenger vehicles on qualifying rural interstates during daylight hours. At night, the maximum speed limit would be 80 mph.

How would RAPID Act impact speed limits on Arizona’s rural highways?

Kupper said the bill’s first test would be a one-year pilot on a section of Interstate 8.

Although no other rural interstates have been deemed eligible for these changes, Kupper said ADOT would use engineering studies, safety records and highway design standards to determine which highways qualify.

Kupper emphasized that existing “reasonable and prudent” standards would remain in effect, adding that the bill would inflict harsher civil penalties on those who misused the zones.

“It will let us raise speeds where it’s safe, keep tough penalties for reckless driving and update our laws to reflect how people actually use these roads,” he added.

The bill also calls for:

• Yearly safety reviews of these zones.
• Coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety for enforcement.
• A public education campaign to make sure drivers know the rules, like lane discipline and passing, before entering one of these zones.

“When rules are clear and focused on driver behavior, states can let safe highways operate as they were designed to operate,” Kupper said. “Arizona should benefit from those lessons instead of sticking with limits that don’t reflect reality.”

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