The Crenshaw County Commission has approved the raising of the speed limit on Gin Creek Road from 45 to 55 miles per hour.

The road, which serves as the main artery between Highway 29 and County Road 6 near the community of Glenwood, experiences a great deal of commuter traffic each day.

Crenshaw County Commissioner Merrill Sport said that a speed limit boost was long overdue for that particular road.

“It’s just a matter that people let sit idle, and when constituents got new commissioners they asked to have us look at them and do the appropriate evaluation,” Sport said.

“I just think we need to run 55 where we can.  It was 45—you can run a go-cart that fast.”

Contrary to popular belief, raising the speed limit can have a number of safety benefits for traffic, including the reduction of speed variance, tailgating, excess passing and other bad behaviors.

But moreover, Sport considers the area a speed trap, due to the misinformation spread about discreet speed limits on unsigned roads.

“People are already driving that speed limit anyway,” Sport said.

“People always thought it was 55 anyway, and it’s only after we get tickets issued over there that people get concerned.  Every paved road is 45 and every dirt road is 25, if it’s not signed otherwise.”

Gin Creek Road is one of several heavy commuter traffic roads whose speed limits have been raised in recent years throughout Crenshaw County, and Sport said that communities seem to be thankful for the change thus far.

“If you’re going from Luverne to Glenwood and you’re going coach-and-buggy speed, you’re making a 10-minute drive,” Sport said.

“We don’t get any complaints about increasing the speed limits—not serious complaints, anyway.  I’ll have one or two joke complaints such as ‘it’s already a raceway.’ But if it’s a raceway and we’re speeding, trust me—we have guys that will get them.”