<P> Congress lifted all federal speed limit controls in the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 , returning all speed limit determination authority to the states effective December 8 , 1995 . Several states immediately reverted to already existing laws . For example , most Texas rural limits that were above 55 mph ( 90 km / h ) in 1974 immediately reverted to 70 mph ( 115 km / h ) , causing some legal confusion before the new signs were posted . Montana reverted to non-numerical speed limits on most rural highways , although its legislature adopted 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) as a limit in 1999 ; as a result , according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety researcher Anne McCartt , `` What 's impressive is the huge drop in the percent of vehicles going very fast ... The proportion of vehicles exceeding 75 mph , the limit set ( by Montana ) in 1999 , tumbled 45 percent . The proportion surpassing 80 mph plummeted 85 percent . Large trucks slowed , too . '' ( She did not mention that the IIHS survey of traffic speeds on Interstate highways in 2006 she referred to , found Montana , as compared with New Mexico and Nevada , had the highest compliance with the 75 mph speed limit on rural interstates : 76 percent . ) Hawaii was the last state to raise its speed limit when , in response to public outcry after an experiment with traffic enforcement cameras in 2002 , it raised the maximum speed limit on parts of Interstates H - 1 and H - 3 to 60 mph ( 95 km / h ) . </P>
<P> Congress lifted all federal speed limit controls in the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 , returning all speed limit determination authority to the states effective December 8 , 1995 . Several states immediately reverted to already existing laws . For example , most Texas rural limits that were above 55 mph ( 90 km / h ) in 1974 immediately reverted to 70 mph ( 115 km / h ) , causing some legal confusion before the new signs were posted . Montana reverted to non-numerical speed limits on most rural highways , although its legislature adopted 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) as a limit in 1999 ; as a result , according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety researcher Anne McCartt , `` What 's impressive is the huge drop in the percent of vehicles going very fast ... The proportion of vehicles exceeding 75 mph , the limit set ( by Montana ) in 1999 , tumbled 45 percent . The proportion surpassing 80 mph plummeted 85 percent . Large trucks slowed , too . '' ( She did not mention that the IIHS survey of traffic speeds on Interstate highways in 2006 she referred to , found Montana , as compared with New Mexico and Nevada , had the highest compliance with the 75 mph speed limit on rural interstates : 76 percent . ) Hawaii was the last state to raise its speed limit when , in response to public outcry after an experiment with traffic enforcement cameras in 2002 , it raised the maximum speed limit on parts of Interstates H - 1 and H - 3 to 60 mph ( 95 km / h ) . </P>
when did the speed limit change from 55 to 70 in texas
when did the speed limit change from 55 to 70 in texas
December 8 , 1995
December 8 , 1995