A speed study conducted by an independent company does not reflect the need to reduce the speed limit on an Evans County road as previously approved by county commissioners.
Evans County Commissioners approved the reduction of the speed limit on Carters Bridge Road back in July after resident Heather Sapp told Commissioner that the road had become a road which had drivers, including Claxton Poultry and Claxton Oil trucks, running “75 and 80 mph.” She said some times the vehicles are driving so quickly that she can’t even if stuff the vehicle type.
Commissioners voted to reduce the speed limit from 45 mph from the standard 55 mph and agreed to approve a resolution, which was to be drafted by the county attorney.
Following the meeting, news outlets published the vote as well as the Georgia code section which requires county governments to obtain speed studies before they alter speed limits on county roads. Citing OCGA 40-6-183, it was suggested that the county did not take sufficient action in amending speed limits. While local governing authorities are well within their purview to amend the speed limits on county roads roads, the code section says that the determination must be made “on the basis of an engineers and traffic investigation.”
From the code section’s subsection (a):
“Whenever the governing authority of an incorporated municipality or county, in its respective jurisdiction, determines on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that the maximum vehicle speed permitted under this chapter is greater than is reasonable and safe under the conditions found to exist upon a highway or part of a highway under its jurisdiction, such authority may determine and declare a reasonable and safe maximum vehicle speed limit…”
