An Albany County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a dark-colored Nissan hatchback two years ago for exceeding 110 mph in a 70 mph zone. The driver was ticketed and instructed to slow down.
He did not.
The following day, the same driver was reportedly pulled over on U.S. Highway 30.
This time, the sheriff’s office clocked him at 116 mph.
“Be safe, Laramie, getting to your destination a few minutes earlier is not more important than your life or the lives of others,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.
The consecutive stops were an egregious example of speeding, but a recent study suggests Wyomingites may have a need for speed.
MoneySuperMarket, a research firm that reviews and analyzes consumer services such as car insurance, used Google Routes data to identify the world’s fastest drivers. Specifically, the group sought to rank average driving speeds.
The U.S. ranked first. Which state has the fastest drivers? According to the study, drivers in Wyoming travel an average speed of 71.8 mph on long drives.
New Mexico finished second at 71 mph. Idaho finished third at 70.5 mph. New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maryland had the slowest long-distance average driving speeds, falling below 55 mph.
Green Lights
The reasons behind Wyoming becoming the nation’s racetrack vary. It helps to be the least populated state in the nation.
According to the study, fewer people leads to less traffic.
“At (the) U.S. state-level, many of the less densely populated states rank among the fastest for long distance driving due to lower congestion and it being possible to maintain higher speeds for long distances,” according to the investigation.
The terrain also helps. Wyoming has some of the rockiest terrain, but it also has the High Plains in southeastern Wyoming.
“Open roads, long, straight flat roads,” explained Dallas Tyrrell, sales manager at Tyrrell Chevrolet in Cheyenne. “More antelope on the road than people.”
Undeveloped sections of Interstate 25 and Interstate 80 go for miles without cell service. With speed limits of up to 80 mph in the state, car enthusiasts said all they needed to do was drive.
“We’re far apart in between places,” Tyrrell explained. “People like to get to A and B fast.”
Other factors may also play a role.
Wyoming is the second highest-elevation state, and its thin air improves gas mileage, according to Tyrrell. If it weren’t for winter, the state’s welcome signs might as well be green.
Tyrrell reported last week that nearly 50 Wyoming Corvette owners gathered in Tyrrell Chevy’s showroom for one of their biannual car club meetings.
Tyrrell claims his Chevrolet dealership has trouble keeping sports cars on the lot. Right now, the Cheyenne store only has one — a $128,000, 6.2-liter, nearly 500 horsepower V-8 Corvette E-Ray capable of reaching 200 mph.
“I don’t recommend it,” he said when asked about testing the speedometer’s limits.
Others clearly don’t follow that advice. Insurify, a company that connects drivers with car insurance, ranked the states with the most street racers two years back. Wyoming placed second. While drag racing is illegal in the Cowboy State, Insurify believes lenient penalties have contributed to its popularity.
“The laxest penalty is in Wyoming, where a street racer may face a fine as low as $10 but no more than $100,” according to the corporation. “However, Wyoming street racers may also face up to 10 days in jail.”
Safe Streets
Jail time is what got Brian Davidson to slow down.
Davidson, a Sheridan Motorsports Association board member, claims he was only 21 years old when he was pulled over for going 121 mph in a 75 mph zone.
He received a speeding ticket and a court summons. When he arrived, a judge sentenced him to 60 days in jail, with all but five suspended.
The five days “slowed me down quite a bit,” he admitted. “I pretty much go the speed limit now.”
But Davidson understands the allure of hitting the gas pedal in Wyoming.
“Our state has so much open space,” he joked. “The fact that we’re the fastest is probably because we have the furthest to go.”
Davidson helps run the Sheridan Speedway, one of the state’s at least six racetracks or speedways. Every Sunday, the speedway hosts races of various classifications, some with large prize money, such as a $10,000 purse for upcoming races later this month.
He encouraged more people to join racing clubs and tracks. On the oval, he pointed out, there are no speed traps, radar guns, or state troopers to slow you down.
“I can go to the track and get my speed kicks there,” Davidson explained.
