Kupper Introduces “RAPID Act” to Raise Speed Limits on Safe Rural Interstates

State Representative Nick Kupper has introduction of HB2059, the Reasonable and Prudent Interstate Driving (RAPID) Act, legislation to allow higher speeds on designated rural interstate segments while maintaining tough penalties for dangerous driving.

Under the RAPID Act, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) could authorize derestricted speed zones for non-commercial vehicles during daylight hours on qualifying rural interstates. ADOT would rely on engineering studies, safety records, and highway design standards when determining eligibility. At night on those stretches, the maximum speed limit would be 80 miles per hour. Existing “reasonable and prudent” standards remain in effect, and the bill increases civil penalties for misuse of the zones.

The bill requires annual safety audits of derestricted segments, coordination with the Department of Public Safety on enforcement, and a public education effort to ensure drivers understand key expectations—such as lane discipline and passing rules—before entering a zone. The first designation would be a one-year pilot on a segment of Interstate 8.

“Most drivers can tell the difference between a crowded city freeway and a wide-open stretch of rural interstate,” said Kupper. “The RAPID Act accounts for that difference. It will let us raise speeds where it’s safe, keep tough penalties for reckless driving, and update our laws to reflect how people actually use these roads.”

Kupper pointed to Montana’s previous “reasonable and prudent” system as evidence that higher speeds can be implemented responsibly. A Montana Legislative Audit Division review found that even as average speeds rose after daytime limits were removed, crash and fatality rates per vehicle mile continued to fall and remained in line with neighboring states, with seatbelt use and driver behavior having a much greater impact than the posted limit.

“Montana showed that you can modernize speed laws without sacrificing safety,” he added. “When rules are clear and focused on driver behavior, states can let safe highways operate as they were designed to operate. Arizona should benefit from those lessons instead of sticking with limits that don’t reflect reality.”