55 MPH: No Blood for Oil
Sphere: Related ContentThe Seventies have returned in all of their glory, with inflation looming, high gas prices, alternative fuels, CAFE standards, and now, you guessed it, an attempt to bring back the 55 mile per hour speed limit. RINO John Warner wants to return the era of Disco, ostensibly to save gas at the expense of human freedom and of lives.
James Baxter, President of the National Motorist Association, is perplexed by this retro attempt at mindless stupidity:
“The same forces that resisted the use of fire many thousands of years ago are still with us, only now they are advocating the return of the national maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour.
“Anyone who endured the last 22 year long “experiment“ with the “folly of 55“ knows that this proposal goes beyond being absurd.
“The only likely beneficiaries are insurance companies (ticket surcharges), local governments that live off speed traps, P.R. firms (the genius creators of public service ads like “Save Gas Save Lives, Drive 55“) and perhaps the radar detector industry. In return, the driving public is treated to aggravation, maddening traffic flow, tickets, bloated insurance premiums, and billions of hours of lost time.
“As in 1973, the justification for a snail’s pace speed limit on major highways is that it will save gasoline (and now reduce global warming).”
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July 11th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
According to Mr. Baxter “…keeping the 55 MPH speed limit, versus allowing the states to raise the limit to 65 MPH, would result in a 0.18 percent.” However, with today’s gas prices, speeding costs. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly above 60 mph. Each five miles per hour over 60 mph is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas. You guys should also try checking out the Drive $marter Challenge (http://www.drivesmarterchallenge.org) for additional money-saving gas tips. You can enter your specific vehicle data and figure out how much money you can save my taking six fuel-efficiency steps. – Kat, Alliance to Save Energy
July 11th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
If you want to go 55 mph than go for it.
But to tell everybody else they have to slow down in the blind hope that it will reduce gas prices is mindless. If people driving less didn’t do that back in April. This isn’t going to do it now.
Do us all a favor. Stop meddiling in our cars.
I think after 20 plus years of driving I can make my own decisions on what is best for me.
Besides, fuel savings are highly dependent on the type of car and engine.
A big boxy truck might be more affected by speed changes. A slippery car will not be.
Case in point is my 2005 Pontiac GTO with a EPA rating of 21. Going back home from Tampa I set the cruise control at 78 mph. The result in fuel used 60 miles later. 20.5 mpg on the car computer. .05 loss. I can live with that.
Every vehicle is different. Not all of them have the aerodynamics of a brick!
No MORE 55!
July 12th, 2008 at 5:58 am
AMEN!
July 19th, 2008 at 10:14 am
Stephen Donaldson there is one falisy to your story. My car epa for highway is 35. By slowing down I have been averaging over 41 highway and city combined.