Illinois State Sen. Jim Oberweis | http://senatoroberweis.com/
Illinois State Sen. Jim Oberweis | http://senatoroberweis.com/
It has been half a decade since Illinois raised the speed limit, but if state Sen. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) has his way, drivers passing through rural areas of the Prairie State could do so up to 75 mph.
SB 2567, authored by Oberweis, seeks to increase the speed limit on interstates outside major urban areas, according to Illinois Policy.
Oberweis also filed SB 2564, which would raise the speed limit on highways outside urban areas from 55 mph to 60 mph.
It was Oberweis who had a hand in the 2014 legislation that raised the interstate highway speed limit to 70 mph for those driving on interstate highways. He was able to round up enough support to overcome then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto.
Oberweis, however, has met opposition to his latest bills. Critics claim a higher speed limit endangers motorists.
According to the Institute for Highway Safety, car crash deaths jump 8% for every 5 mph increase in the speed limit.
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