a return to federally mandated 55MPH on highways?

[jims69camaro]

http://www.motorists.org/ sent me this email:

Dear Fellow Motorist,

As fuel costs have escalated there has been an equal increase in the number of politicians and editorial boards that are calling for the return of the 55 MPH national speed limit. The most recent politician to advocate reducing speed limits is John Warner, a Republican senator from Virginia.

Going back to this counter-productive law will have zero effect on fuel prices, but it will generate millions of speeding tickets, auto insurance premium surcharges, and a whole new level of motorist harassment. If you don't want to return to the days when an Interstate trip consisted primarily of looking for speed traps, now is the time to speak up. Anytime an elected official, reporter, editor, or talk show host starts lamenting the loss of the 55 MPH national speed limit (and the Nixon-Carter years) they should hear from you.

Here's a few points you can stress:

-Only a very small percentage of our streets, roads, and highways are posted for speeds above 55 MPH (about two percent).

-Artificially low speed limits will not be complied with and they just invite abuse by unethical public officials and law enforcement agencies.

-Most of our motor fuels are actually burned up in urban/suburban settings and highways posted at or below 55 MPH. A car going 75 MPH on an Interstate highway is still getting far better mileage than one going 25 MPH in stop and go urban traffic.

-The 55 MPH national maximum speed limit was a 22 year long public policy disaster that wasted billions of dollars and billions of man-hours while corrupting state agencies (for the sake of federal highway funds) and misallocated law enforcement resources that could have been used in much more productive ways.

-Any person that wishes to save fuel by driving slower is free to do so, just as they are free to use more fuel efficient vehicles, car pool, combine trips, or vacation closer to home. The public needs neither a legal hammer over its head nor a government incentive to act in its own best interest. The last two energy "crises" proved that government price controls, rationing schemes, and attempts to dictate fuel distribution decisions were an unmitigated disaster. The same can be said for the 55 MPH national maximum speed limit.

For more information on motorist issues, please visit www.motorists.org.

James Baxter
President
National Motorists Association

all that he says is true. other than filling the coffers of police agencies, what would 55 MPH do? like he says, anyone that wants to drive slower, can. more gas is burned at speed limited areas below 55 MPH, so what is the reasoning behind 55 MPH? i don't buy the argument that more fuel is burned in the same distance at speeds above 55. cars today have a much lower drag coefficient than cars of the 60s and 70s.

[HardcoreZ28]

This is the exact same reason why they dropped it to 55 back in the Reagan days. The savings is something like 12% for every decrease of 10mph. There is less incentive to drive slower if everyone is still doing 65+ because you feel like a target waiting to be run off the road.

Not saying I want a lower limit but I suppose it wouldn't be a bad thing.

[SteveR]

lower it for the right lane and let everyone else driver like crazy people in the left lane, except in Pensyltucky where they dont understand the concept of the passing lane :lol:

[Tsar]

Doing 55 in 6th gear is not cool... that would be like 1100 - 1200rpm. And if I switch to 5th that would land me even worse gas mileage.

[SteveR]

Doing 55 in 6th gear is not cool... that would be like 1100 - 1200rpm. And I switch to 5th that would land me even worse gas mileage.

cant you put it in 5 1/2?

[Tsar]

cant you put it in 5 1/2?
Sure, if it's downhill. :lol:

[79CamaroDiva]

Most cars will in fact burn less fuel at 55 mph than at 65 or 75. In F-bodies we're lucky enough to have 6th gear, but I learned that my cherokee would get 23 mpg or more going 55 mph coming back from vermont than the 18 mpg it would get at 75. The new HHR is also geared so that 60mph is the magic number, going up to 65 mpg "drops" to around 31 or so, where as at 60 mph, its around 33-34. At 55 on some of the state roads around here, I got up to 37. So, no, it wouldn't be a terrible thing.

[JL8Jeff]

It depends on the car/truck, but my 454SS pickup got 14 mpg at 70 mph which was right in the perfect rpm range for the combo but would get 12-13 at lower speeds. The F-body get best gas mileage at 70-75 mph as well. 55 mph in an F-body is too low in the rpm range and will hurt gas mileage. A couple of my old 4Runners got best mileage in the 65-70 mph range so I don't think this 55 mph thing is accurate. With overdrive, almost all the new cars are geared for best cruising rpm around 65-70.

-

[Tsar]

Most cars will in fact burn less fuel at 55 mph than at 65 or 75. In F-bodies we're lucky enough to have 6th gear, but I learned that my cherokee would get 23 mpg or more going 55 mph coming back from vermont than the 18 mpg it would get at 75. The new HHR is also geared so that 60mph is the magic number, going up to 65 mpg "drops" to around 31 or so, where as at 60 mph, its around 33-34. At 55 on some of the state roads around here, I got up to 37. So, no, it wouldn't be a terrible thing.
You know you can drive below the speed limit on the highway, just do it in the grandma lane and everything should be fine. :shrug:

[BonzoHansen]

Doing 55 in 6th gear is not cool... that would be like 1100 - 1200rpm. And if I switch to 5th that would land me even worse gas mileage.

Time for 4:10s....

[Tsar]

Time for 4:10s....
:lol: that might work, but I like driving at 75ish so I think it would be a bad idea with 4:10. Well, gas mileage wise that is.

[qwikz28]

the savings will be far less than back in the reagan era with cars nowadays having 5 gears minimum and better drag coefficients. i say keep it the way it is and leave it to the consumer to decide which speed to drive

[jims69camaro]

so a cherokee, with a much worse drag coefficient, leads off your argument for 55? sorry, i am not buying it. if it's true, then utilize the right lane properly and drop your speed. the highways are meant for cruising. even when the 55 MPH limit was posted, people still went 65-70, and targets for tickets were 74+. this is still true; most people still cruise between 65-70, but the target is higher, more like 80+... rush hour changes things a little bit, especially if you're in a pack that's cruising right along. cops tend to leave you alone if you are moving with traffic. it's the constant lane changers and tailgaters that get targeted along with those moving faster than traffic. that kind of law enforcement makes sense.

i don't want to go back to the time where 73 in a 55 is a big ticket. then it's all about the money to the cops. there hasn't been a big increase in traffic fatalities like it was fore-casted by the nay-sayers way back when, either. leave it alone at 65.

[PolarBear]

i don't want to go back to the time where 73 in a 55 is a big ticket. then it's all about the money to the cops. there hasn't been a big increase in traffic fatalities like it was fore-casted by the nay-sayers way back when, either. leave it alone at 65.

Amen

[sweetbmxrider]

well if the posted speed limit is 55, most people will do 60-65 comfortably. theres your magic number range for gas mileage, there is your decrease in fuel usage nationwide, and there is your reason to post 55. i see this as a good thing.

[EchoMirage]

not every car gets better mileage at lower speeds, as already stated. all depends on the motor and gearing. bigger motors like to breathe more, and can get better mileage at 75 then 55. someone on tech posted his friend has i think a big jaguar. he gets near 30 at 75-80, but very low 20s at 55, which is where the EPA rating was.

[Tsar]

well if the posted speed limit is 55, most people will do 60-65 comfortably. theres your magic number range for gas mileage, there is your decrease in fuel usage nationwide, and there is your reason to post 55. i see this as a good thing.

NO ONE is stopping you from driving 60-65 RIGHT NOW. What's the problem?

[Jersyboyy]

Well with the way gas prices are I am certain the economist arnt thinking about all of the big block or ls1 or diesel truck owners when they thought this up. They thought about the MAJORITY or motorist who are all trying to scrounge up what ever money they have to pay for gas let alone bills(its not just gas thats getting high in price, taxes food water). Alot of people are under hard times and their trying to do SOMETHING to help ease the burden of the masses. Might be smart for everyone to get a dd that gets 32mpg at 55-60 and drive the muscle car on the weekend if it helps the majority.

[sweetbmxrider]

NO ONE is stopping you from driving 60-65 RIGHT NOW. What's the problem?

people are ****ing idiots and drive as fast as possible. it can be dangerous to not keep with the flow of traffic. most people don't realize that they would get better gas mileage if they slowed down some, so you gotta force it.

oh and most people these days aren't driving big v8s and such, so they will see better gas mileage but we won't. deal with being a minority!

[Jersyboyy]

people are ****ing idiots and drive as fast as possible. it can be dangerous to not keep with the flow of traffic. most people don't realize that they would get better gas mileage if they slowed down some, so you gotta force it.

oh and most people these days aren't driving big v8s and such, so they will see better gas mileage but we won't. deal with being a minority!



Exactly my point, Graciass. :moon:

[Tsar]

people are ****ing idiots and drive as fast as possible. it can be dangerous to not keep with the flow of traffic. most people don't realize that they would get better gas mileage if they slowed down some, so you gotta force it.

oh and most people these days aren't driving big v8s and such, so they will see better gas mileage but we won't. deal with being a minority!

Idiots will keep driving as fast as they do now, no matter the speed limit. They are also a minority just like the people who drive cars with big engines. And as far as its "dangerous" to not keep up with the flow of traffic, I have personally driven 35 (thats thirty five)MPH on route I-80 East for extended period of time, and look I'm still here typing! I have also noticed from this summer, while visiting my girlfriend in Central, that people drive A LOT slower. If used to do 80 mph on the parkway I would get passed like no tomorrow, now I do 75ish and I pass 80 - 85% of the people on the road, people DO know about lower speeds and increased mpg, some of them just choose not to drive it. Lowering speed limits will only increase your fine when you are traveling at the comfy speed of 75, which will lend you 4 points on your license, and insurance surcharges for the next few year + some revenue for the town you were cough in. If YOU want do drive 60 or 65, do so, like I said NO ONE will stop you. I want to keep cruising at 75...

[Tsar]

Exactly my point, Graciass. :moon:
Stop being a sheep.

[sweetbmxrider]

you are speaking about 1 portion of 1 state.....there's like...i dono....50?

[Tsar]

you are speaking about 1 portion of 1 state.....there's like...i dono....50?
I'm speaking from what I have personally experienced. Do you know what SPEED LIMIT is? It is the maximum speed allowed by law for you to travel on that stretch of road. Most places DO NOT have minimum speed limits, the only places I can think of are stretches of I-95 South, but that is not Jersey. So there is a Maximum speed limit but nor minimum speed limit, thus you CAN drive below speed limit and be fine and dandy! How about some individual responsibility? Don't want to drive 80+? Get in the RIGHT lane and drive 60, that is why its there!

What is so hard to understand?

[sweetbmxrider]

there is a ticket....obstruction of traffic.....you get that for driving too slow....fyi

[Jersyboyy]

BAAAAAAAAA well enough sheeping around w.e that means Im going to go get a crank pulley and finally tear my cam out of my block. Some one find me some heads for my car cheap so I can put this thing back together again and get 8mpg doing 70 on the highway please. BAAAA oops

[Tsar]

there is a ticket....obstruction of traffic.....you get that for driving too slow....fyi
FYI - You will NOT get that ticket for driving 60 on I-80. Just FYI.

[SteveR]

there is a ticket....obstruction of traffic.....you get that for driving too slow....fyi

a lot of states have minimum speed limits on highways too. They should put those signs up on the Parkway in the morning. The cops would make a killing, cuz there aint no damn person going over 25 :lol:

[Jersyboyy]

Thats just I-80 bro what about the rest of the country? Their are plenty of areas that going to slow will slam you with a ticket if the cop choses! Never say never

[sweetbmxrider]

FYI - You will NOT get that ticket for driving 60 on I-80. Just FYI.

parkway round here...ocean county...speed limit is 55....next time you're on it, ease off the throttle some

[Jersyboyy]

Their are plenty PLENTY of roads where the speed limit maybe 65 or 70 but going 55 WILL GET YOU HURT, gotta think out side of the parkway box. 49 other states with roads that dont flow the same as us.

[Tsar]

Thats just I-80 bro what about the rest of the country? Their are plenty of areas that going to slow will slam you with a ticket if the cop choses! Never say never
Post PROOF of your argument. SHOW me where a person has gotten a ticket for going 60 - 65 in the 65 MPH zone. Or 70 to 75 in 80, because that's the speed limit in TX. Until then your argument is void.

[SteveR]

In the few states I've seen minimum speed limits, its usually 20 under, so 45 in a 65.

[Jersyboyy]

Read it and weep! http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/7121

[Jersyboyy]

quoted from that same site "Absolutely. going too slow can be just as dangerous as speeding. go out on the freeway and go 50 mph in a 70 mph zone and see if you don't get blown off the highway. man had a flat tire, traveling 15 mph on the interstate, speed limit 55 mph. a dump truck came on him at 60 mph and rear-ended the flat tire vehicle. both guilty. dump truck for improper following and auto for impeding traffic and careless driving. this was a classic case of impeding traffic and two drivers using bad judgement."

[Jersyboyy]

BTW GUYS most states highways are already at 55 were one of the lucky ones that has the higher speed limits!

[Tsar]

parkway round here...ocean county...speed limit is 55....next time you're on it, ease off the throttle some
Well then you already have your desired speed limit, what are you bickering about. I will continue driving 70ish because that is what I'm comfy at and at 25+mpg at that speed im completely happy with it. Well unless there's traffic..

[Tsar]

quoted from that same site "Absolutely. going too slow can be just as dangerous as speeding. go out on the freeway and go 50 mph in a 70 mph zone and see if you don't get blown off the highway. man had a flat tire, traveling 15 mph on the interstate, speed limit 55 mph. a dump truck came on him at 60 mph and rear-ended the flat tire vehicle. both guilty. dump truck for improper following and auto for impeding traffic and careless driving. this was a classic case of impeding traffic and two drivers using bad judgement."
Dude, please do not tell me this is your argument. HE WAS GOING 15MPH on a highway! We are talking reasonable speed here, 55 - 60 in a 65, 70 - 75 in 80...

Jesus...

[Tsar]

BTW GUYS most states highways are already at 55 were one of the lucky ones that has the higher speed limits!
States along side I95 are 65 - 70... At least from here to the southern tip of FL.


Edit. Used to be 75.

[BonzoHansen]

Dude, please do not tell me this is your argument. HE WAS GOING 15MPH on a highway! We are talking reasonable speed here, 55 - 60 in a 65, 70 - 75 in 80...

Jesus...

I agree

[sweetbmxrider]

Well then you already have your desired speed limit, what are you bickering about. I will continue driving 70ish because that is what I'm comfy at and at 25+mpg at that speed im completely happy with it. Well unless there's traffic..

you are missing the point. sure we have v8s that love going 70s, but more and more people are going for fuel efficient 4 bangers, hybrids, and the likes. gas has almost doubled in price in only a year....gotta slow the consumption down

[Tsar]

you are missing the point. sure we have v8s that love going 70s, but more and more people are going for fuel efficient 4 bangers, hybrids, and the likes. gas has almost doubled in price in only a year....gotta slow the consumption down
DRIVE SLOWER!

If I remember correctly I have stated that before.

[sweetbmxrider]

yeah exactly! drop the speed limit and they will! DUH!

[Tsar]

yeah exactly! drop the speed limit and they will! DUH!
Do you posses some kind of malfunction? Do you not have free will? Why do YOU need a lower speed limit do drive slower? Is your car government controlled, or is it controlled by your foot? Are you not capable of driving at a reasonable speed? Do you need to be "speeding" and that's why you want the speed limit to lower, so you can feel like you are breaking the law?

What is stopping you from driving 50 in a 55, or 60 in a 65?

[sweetbmxrider]

tsar, i am talking on behalf of the country that doesn't realize driving slower would be better for them. i don't drive on highways more than twice a month, if that. i used to everyday for school though.

if someone were to drive 50-55 because they wanted to get some good gas mileage, they would have a very stressful time on the highway. most every person is trying to make good time, not conserve some.

[Tsar]

tsar, i am talking on behalf of the country that doesn't realize driving slower would be better for them. i don't drive on highways more than twice a month, if that. i used to everyday for school though.

if someone were to drive 50-55 because they wanted to get some good gas mileage, they would have a very stressful time on the highway. most every person is trying to make good time, not conserve some.

As I have stated before, I have seen people drive slower, so they must know about it. Plus it is everywhere on TV nowadays. Also, who made you the authority to represent the whole United States of America in regards to lowering the speed limit?

Please do not come back and say that my observational experience only includes NJ, and not the rest of the country. You have nothing to counter argue my observation, as stated in your own post.

In addition, the only reason one would have a "stressful" time going below the speed limit is when they are in the LEFT lane, no one will bother them in the right lane, which is meant for slower drivers. It all works out if you follow the rules.

[BonzoHansen]

As I have stated before, I have seen people drive slower, so they must know about it. .I agree, it seems a lot of people have slowed down.

[Featherburner]

I agree, it seems a lot of people have slowed down.Even people in the left lane. Sonsofbitches :twisted:

[Rich189]

I agree, it seems a lot of people have slowed down.

Not me I'm just fine doing 65 in a 55 I just wish these "slow people" would get out of the friggen passing lanes. Almost every night around 10pm on rt130 there is some douche going 45-50 in the passing lane next to someone going 45-50 in the slow lane and wonder why the hell they get beeped at and high beamed.

I dont have a problem with people going slower and conserving fuel or what not but they need to learn to do it in the right lane. Lowering the speed limit is only going to make more people drive slower in the passing lane and think its ok to do 45 in a 55

[edpontiac91]

people are ****ing idiots and drive as fast as possible. it can be dangerous to not keep with the flow of traffic. most people don't realize that they would get better gas mileage if they slowed down some, so you gotta force it.

oh and most people these days aren't driving big v8s and such, so they will see better gas mileage but we won't. deal with being a minority!

THIS IS 100% TRUE. I drive in the right lane on the Parkway with the cruise set at 65 mph. EVERY CAR PASSES ME WITH EASE! Just for kicks I speed up to 80 mph and get in the left lane and THEY STILL BLOW PAST ME IN THE CENTER LANE TO GET AROUND THIS SLOWPOKE. When you get down to exit 98(where the speed limit IS 55)NOBODY SLOWS DOWN. I drive the speed limit for only one reason, TO GET THE BEST GAS MILEAGE. Every airhead that is doing 85 to 90 mph must have a free supply of gas hidden somewhere because they don't give a damm about what they are paying, JUST GET THE F OUT OF MY WAY MOTHER FER:twisted:. And don't forget the idiot that tailgates you when you have 2 or 3 empty car lengths in front of you. They have to have a RUNNING START AND FLOOR IT JUST TO GET PAST YOU AND THEN JAM ON THE BRAKES TO SQUEEZE IN FRONT OF YOU. WTF did that do, and if you hit your high beams on and off after they pull of that stunt, you get the FINGER. I wish I could bring along my starter pistol and get along side of them and click off several bangs:bang: just to scare the hell out of them. I wonder how fast they would give someone the finger after that, but of course I would be in jail thinking about what fun that was later on.

[sweetbmxrider]

where are most of the exits? right hand side. so people burnin down the road cut off the people doing the speed limit and can cause some issues. there is no need to go any faster than 70. the speed limit should be dropped. speed kills.

if the government is thinking about doing it, obviously something is up. i mean, they represent the whole country, they must know a thing or to :shrug:

[Tsar]

where are most of the exits? right hand side. so people burnin down the road cut off the people doing the speed limit and can cause some issues. there is no need to go any faster than 70. the speed limit should be dropped. speed kills.

if the government is thinking about doing it, obviously something is up. i mean, they represent the whole country, they must know a thing or to :shrug:

Grasping for straws much, with the whole "exit is on the right" stuff...

Speed limit is 65 in most places, so yes if you went the SPEED LIMIT you would not be going faster than 70. Once again I ask YOU, what stops YOU from following the speed limit or driving 5mph under to conserve on gas.

Are you serious with that government knows best stuff? Government also separated Columbia so they can have the Panama Canal; do you wanna talk about slavery; Use of depleted Uranium, ETC. Honestly I can probably fill in the whole page of what the government has done that can be filed under the "questionable" category (College came in handy :lol: ). But this is not a thread about that. This is a thread about 55mph nation wide zone and how it wouldn't do anything but increase town revenues.

[Squirrel]

It depends on the car/truck, but my 454SS pickup got 14 mpg at 70 mph which was right in the perfect rpm range for the combo but would get 12-13 at lower speeds. The F-body get best gas mileage at 70-75 mph as well. 55 mph in an F-body is too low in the rpm range and will hurt gas mileage. A couple of my old 4Runners got best mileage in the 65-70 mph range so I don't think this 55 mph thing is accurate. With overdrive, almost all the new cars are geared for best cruising rpm around 65-70.

-

14...matt hasnt seen 14 mpg in his truck since the last time it was towed by a vehicle that got 14 mpg lol

[firehawk1120]

this country was built on freedoms. If I want to waste gas and spend money I have the freedom to do so if I choose. Just because you want to save a few bucks and honestly over the course of a year how much more money are you currently spending then you were a year ago. $1,000 - $2,000 more per year. Here's a way to save that money if you smoke stop smoking all those packs of cigarettes at $6 a pack will save you the difference. If you drink coffee from starbucks stop drinking coffee at $3.00 a cup that will make up the difference. People are bitching about the cost of gas and I agree it sucks that it increase SO fast so quickly but there is nothing that is going to curtail the cost immediately so cut back on other things.

Like so many times already stated dropping the speed limit will not stop people from speeding. It will however give police more targets to pull over and collect their money. If you want to do 55 and sit in the right lane then by all means go there, be happy and save your precious gas. Otherwise, do the speed limit which thankfully is 65 in most parts of NJ or a little faster within reason up to I'd say 75. If you are driving over 75 you're probably a douche bag weaving in and out of traffic and hopefully you'll hit a pot hole spin out, crash and die but that is just a dream I have which includes most motorcyclists too but thats another rant.

Either way don't tell me I have to drive slow to save you a buck or two which won't even happen because as much as we are trying to be good here all the 3rd world countries who are now making money are burning fuel like it's going out of style which it is and they don't care about conservation. India, China these countries are growing like you can't imagine. What this planet needs is another plague to drop our number down DRASTICALLY, that will slow down our demand on oil. LOL

[Tru2Chevy]

14...matt hasnt seen 14 mpg in his truck since the last time it was towed by a vehicle that got 14 mpg lol

IIRC Jeff's 454SS had the 4 speed auto, not the 3 spd. OD FTW!

- Justin

[sweetbmxrider]

this is more of a world problem and our country's first baby step towards fixing it. you guys have every reason to disagree with it, but after driving up and down the highway between yesterday and today, i see very little difference in the way people drive. gas isn't going to last forever, conserving some would help though.

[Tsar]

No one is stopping you from conserving... we have been over this. And you still didn't answer my question.

[sweetbmxrider]

see its gotten to the point that it can't really be a choice. most people are oblivious. oh and on our way home from up north, we were almost rear ended several times. maybe dropping the speed would help prevent that??

when did i say i don't try to conserve? not just with gas too. but i guess somehow you know my life story and i should just stop talking.

[Tru2Chevy]

I drive at or slightly below the speed limit on my way home from work every night (about 15 miles worth of highway) in my black Jeep, and I haven't once had an issue with someone almost running into me.

You claim that people are oblivious....so what makes you think that a lower speed limit will correct that? They will still be oblivious, no matter what the posted sign says. If they are going to do 80 in a 65 zone and almost hit others that are only doing 65....what makes you think that they won't be doing 70 in a 55 and almost hitting all the people doing 55?

- Justin

[Tsar]

Once again, lowering speed limits will NOT stop people from driving over the speed limit. Is that so hard to understand? it doesn't stop them now; what's so magic about your miraculous 55mph? And it IS a choice, you have free will, you either go over the speed limit or you do not. It's like you kick a puppy or you do not kick a puppy, you know... you DO have a choice, and do not tell me otherwise. Driving is one of the more dangerous activities humans do on this earth so if you can't handle the highway than plan an alternate route, simple as that. My mother, for example, avoids it all because she does not like it, her DIC shows an average speed of 35mph. Tonight if someone rear ends me while I'm going to visit my gf , I will have a new car, no big deal.

You wanna drive 55, do it, stop preaching about it, stop pushing your agenda on people who do not want to hear about it. I will drive 75 and get my near 30mpg in my 5.7 liter car and be fine with it.

[Tsar]

I drive at or slightly below the speed limit on my way home from work every night (about 15 miles worth of highway) in my black Jeep, and I haven't once had an issue with someone almost running into me.

You claim that people are oblivious....so what makes you think that a lower speed limit will correct that? They will still be oblivious, no matter what the posted sign says. If they are going to do 80 in a 65 zone and almost hit others that are only doing 65....what makes you think that they won't be doing 70 in a 55 and almost hitting all the people doing 55?

- Justin
wtf, you teleported in time, copied my post, teleported back and posted before me. I think you should be banned! :lol:

[Tru2Chevy]

wtf, you teleported in time, copied my post, teleported back and posted before me. I think you should be banned! :lol:

Impossible..... :)

- Justin

[Tsar]

Impossible..... :)

- Justin
http://borkweb.com/wp-content/upload/WTF_hax.jpg

[jims69camaro]

this is more of a world problem and our country's first baby step towards fixing it. you guys have every reason to disagree with it, but after driving up and down the highway between yesterday and today, i see very little difference in the way people drive. gas isn't going to last forever, conserving some would help though.

you are a woman, aren't you? well, at least you argue like one. when you are trumped in your argument, you change the topic. that's why we can never win arguments with our girlfriends and spouses - they don't fight fair.

anyway, you have ignored the gist again and again, so i will boil it down for you: you have the power, the freedom of choice, to drive whatever speed you want to. why do you feel the need to control others (those against the 55 mph limits)? there is no rationality to your argument, and now you want to get the whole world involved... huh? it wasn't enough to start pointing the finger at other states, now it's other countries, too. see, i really could care less what happens in other states (or other countries) because i live here. now, if a federally mandated 55 mph limit were imposed, then it would affect ALL states, including the one i live in, which i cannot accept. there is no argument for going slower other than this whim that it conserves energy. do this, get in your car and fill the tank. drive normally, stay with traffic, do all of the things you would normally do. write down the mileage. now, fill the tank again, and do NOT go over 55 mph on ANY street. write down the mileage. if the difference in mileage is more than 10 miles, i will buy your next tank of gas. i think what you will see, instead, is an increase in mileage because cars are not built the way they used to be - they are much more efficient and more capable to do speeds over 55 without a corresponding loss in mileage. the cars are more aerodynamic and the motors with their electronic fuel injection (soon to be direct injection) are so much more efficient than their predecessors... there is no comparison. if you really want 55 mph badly enough, you can build a time machine and travel back in time to the 70s and 80s and drive to your heart's content in 55 mph speed limits. i do not want any part of those years or the speed limits that they brought. i lived through that and i do not want to return.

btw, i have driven on the roads of other countries. one of them is italy, where the pollution problem, i have to say, is out of hand. on the autostradt, italy's version of germany's autobahn, there is only a speed limit near exits, and it is slower in the right lane. cars are going to be exiting and entering the roadway, so they know that there is no way to leave that part of it uncontrolled. btw, the left lane does not have a speed limit. i was pushing the little 4 banger in the fiat uno we rented to 180 kph - and i was being passed by mercedes going much faster than that. i learned how to drive there within a few hours and we were happily motoring along, paying somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 per gallon (it's a little hard to pinpoint because they pay for gas by the liter and then there was that pesky lire to consider...) so, hey, it's not a global problem. about the only problem i see is that we don't all do like montana and abolish speed limits, conditions permitting. then, if everyone learned to drive like that, i would be able to go as fast as my car would let me and i wouldn't have to worry about anyone blocking my lane because they would have learned to keep right or get run over.

and, even with abolished speed limits, you'd still be able to putt along in the right lane at 55 mph and not have to worry about getting run over.

ya see?

[Savage_Messiah]

Just for kicks I speed up to 80 mph and get in the left lane and THEY STILL BLOW PAST ME IN THE CENTER LANE TO GET AROUND THIS SLOWPOKE.


Move over. The left is the passing lane. No matter what, you shouldn't be there unless passing other cars. That's just adding to the problem.

[ShitOnWheels]

When gas was headed to over $4.00 a gallon for regular not too long ago, I attempted the "drive slower save gas" thing. I normally do 75 - 80 mph on the highway. For 2 tanks, I drove no faster than the speed limit on the highway, whether it was 55 or 65. I saw NO change in mpg in my 4 cylinder Hyundai Elantra. Maybe 1 mpg difference, but it wasn't enough to make me change permanently. Driving mixed driving (and still doing 75 - 80 on the highway) I get 30+mpg in a 7 year old car. If I do all highway (again at 75-80 mpg) I can get 34+ mpg. There was no difference in those numbers sticking to the speed limits.

So why should I accept this reduce speed limit if I don't see any difference in fuel consumption? It's just a way to make more money, and the government needs more money...forget about the peons that make up the country needing the money too.

[jims69camaro]

So why should I accept this reduce speed limit if I don't see any difference in fuel consumption?

you shouldn't have to. this is the crux of my argument. someone, at some point, said that if you slow down you will use less gas for the same distance covered. i don't buy it. i never have. the car will use the same amount of gas to cover a mile at 55 and at 75, it defies physics to says otherwise.

[sweetbmxrider]

well apparently more people are arguing against changing the speed limit, so you guys win. maybe they should increase it.

i hope this holds some water with you guys. i know its only a camry they tested, but the way people are shopping these days, with geo's going for how many $$?? this is a rather valid point.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/tires-auto-parts/car-maintenance/get-the-most-mileage-for-your-fuel-dollars-406/
jims69camaro, don't ever call me a woman.
/me caring about this thread

[Frosty]

There's no right answer for this situation however I don't agree with lowering the speed limit. I doubt many people will change their driving habits and it'll be a ticket magnet. I choose to do 68-ish on the highway because that's where the sweet spot on the 'vette is for gas mileage.

This is just another reactionary idea due to the gas prices. I'd rather see the gas tax get dropped for a bit, something a certain group of people don't want to do yet didn't pay for said gas tax in Denver, just saying...

I'd LOVE to see people on the the major highways in CA, some roads in NY and in Texas adhere to a 55mph speed limit....not happening lol

[LTb1ow]

Yea staying with traffic means your going at least 80, when the speed limit is 65. I highly doubt changing the speed limit will change that. Radar/laser detector FTW. And its another big brother thing.... whats this country coming too. I don't the federal government to tell me what is safe and not safe for or how to save gas. Whats next? Them telling me I can't drive a car that gets bad MPG?

[Frosty]

It'll eventually get there...we're heading towards how Europe does things...

[LTb1ow]

Moving to Mexico when that happens...

[jims69camaro]

Moving to Mexico when that happens...

will the last person out of the country please turn off the lights...

[LTb1ow]

Nah, I would never leave the good ole US of A. As bad as I think it is, its worse in other countries. Hopefully the coming election will stir things up a bit. For better or worse I don't know.

[Frosty]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080727/us_time/wouldyoudrive55

A law only works when it's obeyed - and it's an open question how many motorists would comply. The 1974 law was considered a joke by the many drivers, who violated it with impunity. "Real compliance out on the interstate was somewhere around twenty percent," says Jim Baxter, president of the National Motorists Association. "Eighty percent of the population was exceeding the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit!"

Like I said, field day for cops....and so much for State's rights.

[lt14mla]

idk if anyone noticed last week but the state police set up a ticket blitz on on the highways. pullin people over for 5mph over, and other very insignificant infractions, as well as major ones. I've even seen some pretty tricky camera setups, radar setups before that boggled my mind. The government is gonna try and put its foot down one way. It just sucks. I drive for my job, so thankfully I caught word of this, through family officers :). I personally speed, and alot too! But even if feds don't mandate it, you'll always have the cops there mandating the listed mph limit.

[sweetbmxrider]

how else to you expect to punish bad behavior? a slap on the wrist and a hand in your wallet. eventually, people will learn.

[jims69camaro]

Like I said, field day for cops....and so much for State's rights.

well, yeah, the states have rights, as long as they buckle under the fed's pressure by using "highway dollars" as the pressure point. i think some states did ignore the feds, but they have the money to be able to do that. NJ would never give up their fed dollars, no matter what. they overspend as it is, there is no need to make the hole any bigger by not accepting free money from the fed...

[Frosty]

Very true.

[LTb1ow]

how else to you expect to punish bad behavior? a slap on the wrist and a hand in your wallet. eventually, people will learn.

That doesn't always work, especially on people who have the money to do things on the whim.

[jims69camaro]

That doesn't always work, especially on people who have the money to do things on the whim.

and those people typically ride around in lamborghinis, ferraris, mercedes and the like... they could care less about a $100 speeding ticket. to them, that's like a one dollar bill.

i've been seeing an increasing number of gallardos on the street. to the point where i was wondering if lambo was giving them away for free. different colors is the only way i know it's not the same car in different spots.

[LTb1ow]

It really doesn't matter what kind of car you drive, although its usually a good indication, but I am just trying to say that if you have the money, its not much of a punishment.

[sweetbmxrider]

hahahaa.....only soo many tickets can be taken before your license is taken....i learned that real quick. no one is immune to the law.

[lt14mla]

^very true lol^