Driving - A History Lesson | Speed Limits | Driver's Licenses

Speed limits in the United States have a long history, dating back to the early days of automobiles. In 1901, Connecticut became the first state to enact a speed limit for cars--12 miles per hour in towns and 15 miles per hour on rural roads. By 1910, nine states had speed limits on their books, but it wasn't until the 1920s that the federal government began to get involved. In 1921, Congress passed the Federal Aid Highway Act, which established a national highway system and urged states to set speed limits. By 1930, all 48 states had some form of speed limit, ranging from 30 mph to 70 mph. In 1974, Congress passed the National Maximum Speed Limit law, which mandated a 55 mph limit on all highways in the U.S. in order to save fuel during the oil crisis. This law was repealed in 1995, and since then, individual states have been free to set their own speed limits. Listen for more driving history.