The June 15 headline in Cowboy State Daily proclaimed, “Speed study says Wyoming drivers are the fastest in the nation,” citing research showing Wyoming drivers travel 71.8 mph on average on long drives. While the statistics may be accurate, I completely disagree with the implication that this reflects the driving habits of Wyoming residents.

Every morning, I drive the “gauntlet” – US Highway 85 from Yoder to Torrington. Additionally, my job requires frequent travel throughout Goshen County, giving me extensive exposure to local driving patterns across multiple roadways. My daily observations tell a dramatically different story about who’s actually responsible for these speed statistics.

The daily reality across Goshen County

I call my highway 85 commute the “gauntlet” for several reasons that contradict the article’s portrayal of Wyoming drivers, but this pattern extends beyond just one roadway. Throughout my travels across Goshen County for work, I consistently observe the same troubling behaviors. The posted speed limit of 70 mph appears to be merely a suggestion to many motorists. Over the years, I’ve observed actual driving speeds ranging from a cautious 45 mph to a dangerous 85 mph or higher. Similarly, no-passing zones seem to be treated as optional guidelines rather than safety requirements.

There’s rarely a trip anywhere in the county where I don’t witness illegal passing maneuvers. It’s equally rare to see all motorists adhering to posted speed limits on any of our local highways. But here’s the crucial detail that the Cowboy State Daily article completely overlooked: at least 95% of those violating speed limits and making illegal passes are driving vehicles with out-of-state license plates.

The MoneySuperMarket study used Google Routes data to measure average driving speeds, but it doesn’t distinguish between Wyoming residents and the countless out-of-state drivers using our highways as cross-country corridors. The article correctly notes that fewer people mean less traffic and Wyoming has open roads, long, straight flat roads. However, these conditions don’t just benefit locals – they attract speed demons from across the nation.

Wyoming serves as a major thoroughfare for Interstate 80, one of the primary east-west routes across the United States. When the study measures “Wyoming drivers,” it’s actually capturing the behavior of everyone driving through Wyoming, not just those who live here.

The article quotes Dallas Tyrrell saying, “People like to get to A and B fast” when describing the distance between Wyoming destinations. But for most out-of-state drivers on highway 85, points A and B aren’t even in Wyoming – they’re just passing through our state as quickly as possible to reach destinations elsewhere.

The piece mentions that Wyoming finished second in states with the most street racers and notes lenient penalties for violations. But again, this data doesn’t distinguish between residents and visitors. Out-of-state drivers may feel emboldened to speed through Wyoming precisely because they assume they won’t face consequences in their home states.

While the article highlights extreme local cases like the driver going 116 mph on consecutive days, these anecdotes obscure the bigger picture. The overwhelming majority of speed violations and illegal passing maneuvers I witness daily throughout Goshen County are committed by drivers with out-of-state license plates.

These drivers often appear unfamiliar with local road conditions, weather patterns and Wyoming’s unique driving challenges. They interpret our higher speed limits and open spaces as invitations to treat our highways like personal racetracks, completely disregarding safety zones and passing restrictions that exist for sound safety reasons.

Local Wyoming drivers understand our roads, respect the conditions and generally follow traffic laws. We know which curves require slower speeds, where wildlife crossings are common and why certain areas have no-passing zones. We’re not trying to set land speed records – we’re trying to get to work safely while navigating around those who are.

Brian Davidson, quoted in the article, represents the typical Wyoming response to reckless driving: he learned his lesson and “pretty much goes the speed limit now.” That’s the Wyoming way – we police ourselves and take responsibility for our actions.

The Cowboy State Daily article paints Wyoming as a state full of speed demons, but it misses the crucial context of who’s actually doing the speeding. When 95% of the violations I observe involve out-of-state plates, it suggests that Wyoming’s reputation as having the “fastest drivers” is really a reflection of the state being a preferred route for fast drivers from elsewhere.

Wyoming residents aren’t the problem – we’re simply trying to navigate safely around those who treat our state like their personal speedway. The next time someone cites this study to claim Wyoming drivers are reckless, ask them to consider who’s actually behind the wheel. The statistics tell one story, but the license plates tell another.