Photo: Evan Lockridge

Photo: Evan Lockridge

Ohio Lawmakers scrapped a proposal to raise highway speed limits to 75 mph that was opposed by the trucking industry, according to a report from Cleveland.com.

The proposed speed limit increase was originally part of the state’s transportation budget, but when a committee of Ohio House and Senate members convened to finalize the details of the budget, the changes had been removed.

The Ohio Department of Transportation and trucking groups were concerned about the limit increase’s effect on highway safety. Speed limiters on trucks often keep them below 68 mph-- meaning that more passenger cars might attempt risky passing maneuvers resulting in more accidents.

ODOT also noted that the highways were not designed for speeds greater than 70 mph, which could also pose safety risks.

“For now, I think we decided to be cautious and very complete in the analysis on what is safe on our roads and what isn’t,” said Rep. Cheryl Grossman of Ohio.

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