NJ S2497

Speed limits on New Jersey limited access highways under state, NJ Turnpike Authority, and South Jersey Transportation Authority jurisdiction must be set at the 85th percentile speed (the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles travel), rounded up to the nearest 5 mph.

Traffic engineering speed surveys must be completed within four months of the bill's effective date, with mandatory reevaluation at least every 10 years or when highways are substantially altered.

Until speed limits are established through required engineering studies, speeding fines are capped at $20 per offense with no motor vehicle penalty points or insurance eligibility points assessed.

The bill repeals the existing "Sixty-Five MPH Speed Limit Implementation Act" and applies only to limited access highways (freeways/expressways), not local roads under municipal or county jurisdiction.

Survey methodology requires measurements taken unobtrusively on straight road sections in clear weather, dry pavement, and no construction or visible law enforcement activity, using at least four-second vehicle headway intervals.