Why Is Your Speedometer Twice As High As Iowa’s Speed Limit?

Most speedometers on Iowa cars can max out at 160 mph and yet, the interstate speed limit is 70. Why is that number more than double the legal limit if you're going to get in trouble (and worse) for going that fast?

According to CNN, there was a rule implemented in 1979 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that speedometers could only max out at 85 mph. This was very short-lived and ended during the Reagan administration.

They've long since gone back to what Toyota spokesperson Paul Hoggard says is a more symmetrical, easier-to-read version:

there’s value in placing the typical operating speed of American cars, 45 mph to 70 mph, he said, at the top of the speedometer, which is the easiest place on the speedometer for the driver to read. To do this – while maintaining a visually-appealing, symmetrical speedometer – requires a gauge that displays well past operating speeds

So there you go. "Symmetry". Needless to say, safety experts say it creates issues. Young drivers tend to want to test their limits by taking advantage of the higher-than-legal numbers on a speedometer. "The Fast and the Furious" movies haven't helped.

Experts also say the move to digital speedometers could make matters even worse, as some only show the CURRENT operating speed of a vehicle at any given moment.

The NHTSA continues its work against speeding in the wake of 2020 statistics saying there were 11,258 deaths in speeding-related crashes. Their new campaign includes advertisements using dramatic tactics like showing a driver going at various levels over the speed limit, then cutting to a shot of a child in a hospital bed.

Look, most drivers cheat a little and go a tad over the posted speed limit from time to time. But long story short, it's called the Speed Limit for a reason and just because your car can go faster, way faster, doesn't mean it should.