New Speed Limit Increases Mean Potential Charges
The Texas Legislature recently approved increases in speed limits on certain highways. Before you put the pedal to the metal, however, be aware that the speed limit will remain as it is until new signage is put up.
Changing the Signs
Until the Texas Department of Transportation changes all of the speed limit signs on the affected roads, law enforcement officers will be patrolling those roads as if they were at the old speed limit. Make certain that, whenever you’re out on the highway, you obey the posted speed limit, don’t go by what the speed limit will be in a short amount of time.
Some of the changes include bringing up the speed limit to 85 miles per hour on some state highways and eliminating the lower speed limits for night driving that used to be in effect. It’s important to remember, however, that none of these speed limits actually apply until the signage reflects that. Make certain that you don’t assume that a speed limit has been increased without having specific knowledge that it has been, which means without having seen a road sign that indicates that the speed limit is higher than it used to be.
Avoiding Charges
If you do end up speeding simply because you thought that the speed limit had been increased, you could be charged with very serious crimes. Reckless driving is among them. Of course, speeding tickets can also cause hardship for people, even when they’re not particularly expensive, simply because they represent an unexpected expense that you absolutely do have to pay off.
As always, the best policy is to simply obey existing traffic laws and to follow the speed limit posted on the signs. Be particularly wary where signage may have changed on one section of the road but not on another. For example, if you see a speed limit sign that shows a lower speed limit than the previous one, obey the lower speed limit. Don’t assume that the Texas Department of Transportation has simply not changed the signage and that the new speed limit applies. If the old speed limit is what is posted, that is the speed limit that applies.
Facing Charges
There are instances where people end up getting hit with charges that are excessive considering the violation that they were ticketed for. Contact Criminal Attorneys in Houston Texas if you believe that you were charged with reckless driving or another crime that you did not deserve to be charged with.
It’s also important to remember that faster speed limits do mean that car crashes are typically much more serious than they are at lower speed limits. If you are injured by a driver who was being reckless, consider contacting Houston Personal Injury Attorneys to discuss the matter. If the driver that struck you wasn’t following the posted speed limits, it may be possible for an attorney to file a lawsuit against them for negligence, which could potentially win you substantial amounts of money to compensate you for the damages caused by the reckless driver.
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