Heavy-duty trucks in Idaho will be allowed to travel as fast as 80 miles per hour after a new state law goes into effect on July 1. 

The law eliminates Idaho’s split speed limit, which allows cars on certain stretches of highway to travel at 80 mph but limits vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds to 70 mph.

The Idaho Transportation Department said it plans to remove all 70 mph truck speed limit signs beginning on July 1.

Supporters of the law, including sponsor Rep. Doug Pickett and the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), say uniform speed limits reduce dangerous speed variations and improve traffic flows. The law is not about any particular speed but instead about eliminating the differences. 

The Idaho Trucking Association took a neutral stance when the legislation was under consideration, but President and CEO Allen Hodges has expressed concerns that higher speeds contribute to more highway fatalities when accidents occur. 

Higher speeds also mean longer stopping distances and lower fuel economy, which are among the reasons Hodges estimated more than two-thirds of members have indicated they will not increase speeds under the new law.