1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing about the proposal to change the freeway statutory speed limit to 70 MPH being considered in the Senate. Raising the speed limit will cause the 85th percentile speed, the speed at which most motorists are operating their vehicles, to increase. As speeds increase, the kinetic energy in a crash is greater and the potential for severe injuries and fatalities also increases. Please consult with NYS DOT and other road safety professionals before casting your vote. I lived in the sunbelt for a long time and one of the things that makes NYS a great place to live is our safer roads. Raising speed limits is contradictory to Vision Zero, which aims at reducing speeds, injuries, and fatalities.