By Gretchen Millich
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-862060.mp3
Okemos, MI – The Ingham County Road Commission is studying the 55 mile an hour speed limit on Jolly Road near Okemos High School, following a fatal accident earlier this month. 17-year-old Adam Nevells was turning out the school parking lot when he was hit by a pickup truck.
Director Bill Conklin says the Road Commission will consider the history of accidents on Jolly Road, including the crash that killed Adam Nevells, but driver behavior will be primary factor.
Gauges are set up along Jolly between Collins Road and Meridian Road to see how fast 85 per cent of the cars are traveling. Conklin says that's the figure State Police use to set or change speed limits, "The State Police have found if you set a speed limit much below that 85th percentile speed, people don't observe it and that puts a majority of people in violation of the law, even though they may be driving reasonable for the conditions."
That doesn't make sense to Katie Victor, a junior at Okemos High. Victor was close friends with Nevells. She thinks 55 is too fast, and she's urging drivers to go extra slow on Jolly Road this week, "I've spread the news all throughout the school. I've made plenty of signs for students to be aware of all that, and a lot of people have come to me and said just so you know, I've been driving 35 on Jolly, and I was like, good, that's what you need to do."
The speed study continues for about a week. Road officials say it will take several weeks to reach a decision whether to lower the speed limit or keep it at 55.