Missouri drivers could legally drive up to 75 mph on rural highways if a bill passed by the House on Thursday becomes law.

Currently, Missouri’s rural highways are limited to 70 mph. It wouldn’t change the 60 mph urban interstate speed limit or the 65-mph rural expressway limit.

In March, the Senate passed a simple standalone bill raising the limit, but the House bundled several bills into a single piece of legislation on transportation, taxation and motor vehicle regulations. The House passed the bill on Thursday on an 82-53 vote.

Critics warned that the bill would put Missouri drivers and road crews at risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that higher speed limits, even small ones, increase the risk of crashes and injuries.

“The data shows us that higher speeds leads to more crashes, leads to more fatalities, and that’s something that we should take really seriously,” Rep. Eric Woods, a Kansas City Democrat, said.

But supporters said that it’s a matter of personal responsibility. The bill’s carrier in the House, Cape Girardeau Republican John Voss, said it’s about “freedom, efficiency and respecting the individual driver.”

“Missourians are capable adults who drive millions of miles every year. Senate Bill 1408, trusts them to handle five more miles per hour on our best roads, while keeping tough penalties for those who abuse that privilege,” Voss said.

The bill bundled several other transportation bills. If passed, it would:

—Establish penalties for illegally registering a vehicle out of state.

—Require car dealers to collect sales tax at the time of purchase.

—Transition from paper temporary licenses to interim license plates.

—Exempt vehicles that are less than ten years old with fewer than 150,000 miles from bi-yearly safety inspections.

—Require commercial driver’s license holders to demonstrate English language proficiency.

—Raise the minimum number of car sales required to maintain a motor vehicle dealer’s license.

—Extend the renewal cycle for disabled windshield placards from four to eight years.

With changes made in the House, the Senate will need to vote on the bill again before it reaches Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk.

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