Why speed limits don’t make our highways safer

Speed limits are the most ignored law in America. Everyone knows it, everyone does it, and politicians pretend they don’t.

Yet despite near-universal noncompliance, speed limits keep trending upward. That sounds backward — but there’s a reason. And if we want safer, smarter roads, we need to be honest about how limits are set, why they fail, and what would actually fix them.

Speed limits aren’t broken because speed itself is dangerous. They’re broken because the system is disconnected from reality.

This isn’t about reckless driving. It’s about reality. America’s speed policy is built on outdated assumptions, inconsistent enforcement, and political fights that have little to do with safety. Dig into the data and one thing becomes clear: The current system isn’t working.

And no — an