04:34 20-12-2025

HB 2059: Arizona's pilot for daytime no speed limit on I-8

Arizona is weighing House Bill 2059, the Reasonable and Prudent Interstate Driving Act. Sponsored by state representative Nick Kupper, the measure would lift daytime speed limits on select stretches of rural interstate highways. The idea draws in part on Germany’s autobahns and Montana’s former practice.

The bill proposes a one-year pilot on I-8. After dark, limits would return, with a new cap set at 80 mph (130 km/h). Only roads with light traffic and crash rates below the statewide average over the past five years could take part. Eligible segments would also need appropriate infrastructure and pavement conditions, signed off by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

If enacted, Arizona could become the only U.S. state where daytime driving without a posted limit is legal. The proposal has sparked debate: insurers point to higher fatality risk even with modest increases in speed, while supporters argue that, in good conditions, most drivers already move faster than the current limits. Out on long, empty corridors, that gap between the sign and the flow is hard to ignore.

Backers maintain that on open desert highways with clear sightlines, motorists can safely choose their own pace. If approved, the plan would be a distinctive legal experiment—one likely to draw interest from enthusiasts and owners of race cars keen to explore their machines within lawful bounds. Its success would rest on the very criteria the bill emphasizes: road quality, visibility, and a cool head behind the wheel.