Thirty-two other states have raised their speed limits to 70 mph or higher, and State Rep. Dan Dodd would like Ohio to be next in line for that change.

Dodd, a Hebron Democrat who represents part of Pickaway County, is sponsoring a bill that would change the speed limit for passenger cars to 70 mph on specific four-lane roads.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol objects to the idea, citing excessive speed as the top factor in fatal crashes in Ohio "year after year."

You don't have to look far to find information on possible correlations between speed limit increases and crashes resulting in injury or fatality - there's a wealth of it out there. Unfortunately, it's also as conflicting as it is prevalent.

Two studies released in 2005 found no correlation between speed limit increases and higher fatality rates. A study by AAA found states which had adopted the higher speed limit actually showed greater improvement in their overall statewide fatality rates than those states which maintained the lower maximum speed limit.

But a 2005 study by the Iowa Department of Transportation of five Midwestern states (Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota) found each state that raised its speed limit higher than 65 mph showed an increase of 7 percent to 13 percent in the number of average yearly deaths. The same study also found a "spillover" effect, meaning increased crashes and fatalities off the main highways.

In essence, for every argument for the 70 mph limit, you probably can find at least one against it.

Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not the factors for changing the speed limit outweigh the safety concerns.

In this case, a 70 mph limit is a reasonable change and should be considered, but legislators should tread lightly.

In general, experts say most people already drive 7 to 10 mph more than the posted speed limit. In that sense, many Ohio drivers already are going 70 mph. The biggest issue becomes enforcing the speed limit even more stringently on the rural highways rather than the interstates.

We don't see a big problem with a move to 70 mph.