Florida lawmakers consider raising highway speed limits to 80 mph

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WINK) — Recent crashes along I-75 are raising new concerns as lawmakers in Tallahassee consider letting drivers go even faster.

• RELATED: 3 dead, including 2 young children, in I-75 crash near Punta Gorda

A proposal moving through the state legislature would allow speed limits on some Florida highways to increase to 80 miles per hour. There is no word on which roadways would be changed.

That's still a 10-mile-per-hour increase from what most drivers see right now. Not everyone is convinced that's a safe move.

"I think that it is just going to get worse, and I think that everybody is just going to go 100," said Tyler Mosher, a driver.

Crashes along I-75 happen again and again, with speed often a factor. The proposal would allow some highways in Florida to reach up to 80 miles per hour.

It does not specifically name I-75. For drivers here, the possibility is still worrying.

"We are already having so many wrecks on 75 as it is with the speed limit it's already at I think it would increase more people to think they can speed even higher than the actual speed limit is," said Emily Calahan, a driver.

Preliminary 2025 data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles crash dashboard shows tens of thousands of crashes across Southwest Florida this year alone. Roughly 200 people were killed on local roads.

According to a retired Lee County traffic deputy, higher speed limits could mean adapting to the roadways.

"There is always going to be people who are driving reckless no matter where you are and its just gonna open that window a little bit more for them to go a little faster I think everybody else is going to adapt to it but as far as the crashes go I don't think we will see an uptick anymore than you already see," said Roman Serrano, a retired Lee County Sheriff's Office deputy.

For many, the debate comes down to a simple tradeoff, saving time or staying safe.

"I think the speed limit should stay as it is. I don't think we really should think about boosting the speed limit due to how fast people already drive and recent crashes," said David Delgado, a driver.

Right now, this proposal has not become law. Even if it does, any increases in speed limits would be determined by the Florida Department of Transportation based on specific road conditions.