One complaint I often hear from the public is about the lack of speed limit signs on the highways where the speed limit was increased in 2017.

I also frequently hear about how thOse increases were done to simply make speed traps to generate money for the state.

An email I received reads like this: “What if any logic was used when determining speed limits on state highways? With the limited number of speed limit signs it appears this was done just to create enforcement speed traps, ie. M72 west of Mio is 65; however if you turn on M18 to go towards Roscommon it is 55. There is a sign immediately after turning corner but not another until reduce speed sign for the village. These roads are very similar. If any difference M18 appears to have less traffic than M72. I often have to have my wife check google maps to learn the speed limit as we travel.”

Under MCL257.627, section 17, you will find the specific wording as stated by the Legislature in regards to the speed limit increases.

Many people often ask why the speed limits were raised on some of the highways and freeways. The answer is simple, Public Acts 445, 446, and 447 require the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Michigan State Police to increase speed limits on 900 miles of non-freeways in Michigan to 65 mph, and on 600 miles of freeways to 75 mph, supported by speed, engineering and safety studies.

The two agencies worked together to identify where these increases were safe and appropriate.

The next question is always, how were the routes chosen for the increased speed limits?

The new law required an engineering and safety review, as well as current speed data, to support a higher speed limit in order for a speed limit to be raised. An engineering and safety review included examining roadway features, such as lane width, shoulder width, curvature, sight distance, number of access points, and number of passing opportunities, as well as examining how a roadway is currently performing from a safety and operational perspective.

So how does the speed limit increases affect speed enforcement by law enforcement? We as law enforcement will continue to enforce the posted speed limit on all roadways. On roadways with an increased speed limit, motorists are expected to strictly adhere to the new speed limit on those roadways.

Law enforcement will ensure motorists are complying with the newly established speed limits through high visibility enforcement. While working traffic patrols in an area where the speed limit has been increased and then decreases again, I often make traffic stops and usually hear from the driver that they didn’t see the sign for the decrease or that they believed the increased speed zone was from one point to another. To specifically know what the speed limit is on a particular highway or freeway, the routes with speed limit increases to 65 mph or 75 mph there are posted with new speed limit signs. Should you question if you are in an increased zone, you can always go to the following website for a map of the zones, michigan.gov/speedlimits.

Going back to the above statement of, “With the limited number of speed limit signs it appears this was done just to create enforcement speed traps,” I reached out to MDOT.

MDOT advised the initial 55 mph signs were replaced in the increased speed limit zones at the start of the project. Then MDOT followed up and put additional speed limit signs near major intersections, along with signs advising there was a speed limit decrease ahead to assist the public.

Overall, the increased speed limit changes have nothing to do with law enforcmenet creating “speed traps.” The increased speed limts were put into affect by our state legislature, and now it is an officer’s job to enforce those speed limits.

Ashley Simpson is a community service trooper for the Michigan State Police-Alpena Post. If you have a question for Trooper Simpson, you can email her at asktroopersimpson@gmail.com or mail them to Ask A Trooper, Michigan State Police-Alpena Post, 3283 W. Washington Ave., Alpena, Mich., 49707.