Advocates has expressed opposition to House Bill (HB) 2059 in a letter to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the Arizona House of Representatives. This legislation will create “derestricted zones,” initially via a pilot program, for non-commercial vehicles under which there is no daytime speed limit and a nighttime speed limit of 80 miles per hour (mph) on specified highway segments, up from 75 mph, endangering state residents and visitors. HB 2059 will make Arizona the only state to have highway segments without a maximum speed limit.
Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to react to emergencies created by driver inattention, unsafe maneuvers of other vehicles, roadway hazards, vehicle issues (such as tire blowouts) or hazardous weather conditions. Higher speeds will result in more preventable fatalities as well as serious and expensive injuries. Traffic crashes are not only devastating to individuals and families, but they are also costly. In 2019, the estimated cost of traffic crashes in Arizona surpassed $5.9 billion, effectively imposing a $817 “crash tax” on all Arizona residents. When updated for inflation alone, in 2025, costs would equate to $7.5 billion.
This dangerous legislation should be rejected.
Read the full letter here.