The Texas Senate has advanced a measure that would raise the daytime speed limit for personal vehicles on certain stretches of highways in the state to 80 mph. Commercial vehicles would continue to drive at the current 65 mph limit posted for trucks.

Senators unanimously approved the bill May 25. HB2257, which previously passed the House, now heads to Gov. Rick Perry.

Sponsored by Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, the bill would allow the Texas Transportation Commission to increase the daytime speed limit for cars from 75 mph to 80 mph on Interstates 10 and 20 in sparsely populated areas of Crockett, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Kerr, Kimble, Pecos, Reeves, Sutton and Ward counties.

Nighttime speeds for all vehicles would remain at 65 mph.

The bill’s analysis gives this reasoning for the change: “The vast size of Texas requires many Texans to spend many hours on the road. Road travel is especially challenging and time consuming for rural Texans who live in sparsely populated areas of the state.”

Todd Spencer, executive vice president for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said lawmakers and the governor are missing a greater opportunity to do away with split speeds in the state.

“One of the main reasons highway safety has improved even as states nationwide increase speed limits is because higher speed limits tend to eliminate or minimize speed variances that are often key contributors to accidents,” Spencer said. “It would have made more sense for lawmakers to use this legislation as an opportunity to once and for all establish uniform speed limits for the state’s highways.”

Spencer says it is important that Texas truckers communicate to Gov. Perry that uniform speeds are safer for all drivers.

“While some may suggest that having slower speed limits for trucks can somehow promote safety, there is much research to suggest otherwise. Forty states currently have uniform speed limits for all vehicles using their highways,” Spencer said.