With the current maximum speed of 65 mph on four-lane highways, some Iowans may feel like they’re not in the fast lane.

“Most Iowans would like the opportunity to travel at faster speeds — it makes sense,” said Iowa Speaker of the House Brent Siegrist, who is promoting an increase to 70 mph on Iowa highways.

Siegrist said roads are made to handle higher speeds, and if the state of Iowa sticks with the current speed limit, travelers from surrounding states may start to or continue to bypass Iowa during road trips.

“Most travelers go 70 to 75 mph now anyway,” he said.

Although many of Iowa’s surrounding states, including Minnesota and Missouri, opted to allow higher speeds on their roadways when the national speed limit was abolished by the U.S. Congress in 1995, Iowa kept its 65 mph on four-lanes and 55 mph on two-lane highways.

Some officials think that was a good decision by the state.

Loras Jaeger, director of the Iowa State Department of Public Safety, said if the speed limit is raised to 70 or 75, Iowans will treat it as 80 or 85. He said he thinks the speed limit will just continue to get faster.

“Reaction times will become more critical, and accidents will increase,” he said.

Although DPS does not deal directly with highway drivers, Jaeger said he believes most Iowa State students will be supportive of the proposed speed limit.

Both Siegrist and Jaeger said speed limit growth has become a never-ending trend, and every year there will be proposals for higher speeds until drivers are satisfied.

The Siegrist proposal will not have an effect on two-lane roads in metro areas.

Siegrist’s bill must pass the House’s transportation committee and the full House. The proposal must then pass the Iowa Senate, and Gov. Tom Vilsack must sign it before it becomes law.