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Table 2-28. Motor Vehicle Fatal Crashes by Posted Speed Limit

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Table 2-28. Motor Vehicle Fatal Crashes by Posted Speed Limit

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  1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Under 55 mph                       
0-25 mph 2,617 2,865 2,504 2,234 2,097 1,911 1,895 1,890 1,893 1,896 1,955 1,873
26-35 mph 6,099 8,527 7,889 7,756 6,908 6,696 6,759 6,565 6,681 6,445 6,383 6,025
36-45 mph 4,276 6,256 6,813 7,092 6,608 6,345 6,454 6,632 6,938 7,096 7,132 7,349
46-54 mph 2,241 2,431 2,072 2,054 1,894 1,875 1,877 1,861 1,927 1,908 1,788 1,771
Total 15,233 20,079 19,278 19,136 17,507 16,827 16,985 16,948 17,439 17,345 17,258 17,018
55 mph and above                       
55 mph 16,094 20,352 18,862 17,556 16,543 15,444 15,980 16,512 16,753 14,097 12,897 12,522
60 mph N N N 18 9 4 9 13 16 523 935 1,073
65 mph N N N 2,175 2,078 2,002 2,155 2,173 2,323 3,214 3,311 3,421
70 mph N N N 0 0 0 0 0 38 1,282 1,633 1,835
Over 70 mph N N N 0 0 0 0 0 10 344 475 482
Total 16,094 20,352 18,862 19,749 18,630 17,450 18,144 18,698 19,140 19,460 19,251 19,333
Unknown, total7,834 4,853 1,055 951 800 665 651 608 662 689 815 756
TOTAL fatal crashes39,161 45,284 39,195 39,836 36,937 34,942 35,780 36,254 37,241 37,494 37,324 37,107

KEY: N = data do not exist.

NOTES: In 1994, Congress enacted a national maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour (mph). Amendments in 1987 and 1991 allowed states to increase speed limits to 65 mph on rural Interstates and similar highways. The National Maximum Speed Limit was repealed in late 1995; speed limits are again set by the states, some of which have raised their maximum speed limits to 70 mph or above.

SOURCES: 1975-93: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, personal communications, Oct. 22, 1996, February 1999, and Oct. 4, 1999.
1994-98: Ibid. Internet data query from Internet site http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/www/query.html, as of June 13, 2000.