Raise highway speed limit

State Rep. Hubert Collins has blood on his hands. The Democratic chair of the House Transportation Committee has successfully blocked every attempt to raise the speed limit on Kentucky’s rural four-lane highways for the last 20 years, causing unnecessary congestion and accidents.

Now another person has died on U.S. 60 between Lexington and Versailles. Drivers block the passing lane on U.S. 60, causing fatal accidents, road rage and congestion. How many more people will die on Kentucky’s rural four-lane highways before he allows the speed limit on four-lane highways to go up to 60 or 65 mph? Every other state in the Midwest allows 65 mph on rural, four-lane highways and they have seen a reduction in traffic fatalities since raising the limit.

Raising the limit reduces congestion and road rage and promotes safer driving. But I guess the insurance lobby is more important to Collins than the lives lost because of inappropriate speed limits.

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Raise highway speed limit."