I’ve done a lot of driving in Virginia, DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Although I’m no expert, it does seem that the prevailing speed of traffic does tend to be 10-15mph overlimit. Ever been tailgated while doing 85MPH? I have - on I295 between Dover, DE and Washington, DC.
I would like to see a different speed limit for each lane - 55mph in the right most lane, 85mph in the leftmost lane, and 65mph in the middle lane(s). Choose your poison…er, I mean LANE…and keep up / slow down accordingly.
I believe 55 MPH is too slow, however, I regulary drive 60 MPH. I do get passed by everyone on the highway, but also get 30 MPG in my Ford Freestyle, which is more than EPG for this car. I someone wants to lower their gas bills just drive slower. 55 MPH is ever too slow for me, but perhaps 60 to 65 MPH may be acceptable with the public.
regardless of the speed, I think it is time to get rid of V8 engines. They are absoultely ridiclous to use for only one driver. 4 cyl engines are the way conserve the fuel mileages.
Now there is brilliant idea. We should also get rid of all engines that require premium gas too - it’s absoultely ridiclous for anyone to have a high performance engine. And while we’re at it let’s get rid of all cell phones too because using them while driving is dangerous.
The fact is that you can tax and restrict all you want, but if someone wants to spend their money on a high performance car, and is willing to pay for the fuel, you are not going to stop him/her from buying what they want. There is simply too much money involved in the auto business.
We might as well throw in mandatory sterilization after the second child…at what level of government intrusion do you draw the line? I guess a lot of you feel the end (cheap gas) would justify the means.
Two words for you - Joseph DeJarnette. Google his name if you don’t know who he was.
THAT is where excessive government intrusion gets you. Every time.
We draw the line when those proposing new restrictions on freedom cannot justify their stances in a manner understandable to the average intelligent layman.
The chances that 55 MPH will be be adopted will happen AFTER we convert to the Metric System and Soccer replaces Football. Prohibition failed and so did the 55 MPH speed limit. Just won’t happen. Drive 55 if it makes you feel better
I’ve been driving at 50 to 55 mph on highways (with 4 way flashers on) mostly NYThruway. When stopped and questioned by a State Trooper as to what was wrong, my answer “everyone complains about gas prices, I’m doing something about it”. Note: 40 - 45 MPH is the optimum speed for reduced fuel consumption. That’s the speed I drive at locally.
That sounds very dangerous. Driving 20 mph below the average traffic speed seems like a very good way to cause an accident. I would suggest that you drive on secondary roads if you are not willing to drive at an appropriate speed for the highway.
All this talk about “55 MPH saves gas” has one major flaw. Not all cars are designed the same! Some cars are geared for highway and/or have true overdrive. These along with aerodynamic design can greatly increase the optimum speed v MPG of a car. We need to reexamine the policies and laws put into place under the Carter administration and eliminate the current exemptions in many of the regulations on SUV and trucks. Even requiring SUV and Trucks to meet emission standards would greatly reduce our gas consumption and have much greater effect than 55MPH. In defense of the 55MPH, more income for speed trap communities, some gas savings for people choosing shorter vacation trips to reduce time on the road. Let’s encourage availability of Natural Gas filling stations and cars - Honda already sells one. (along with your own hone filling unit as an extra if you have natural gas) By far the cheapest, least polluting and least barrels of oil, other than electric.
Let’s step back…driving 55 mph does work. But it’s more effective psychlogically if the oil producers take the consumers (us) seriously. Without getting too political, mideast war is a mess because IRAQ DOES NOT take our withdrawal seriously, kids don’t behave many times because they don’t take the consequenses seriously and opec won’t until we make conservation measures like 55 mph, major comittments to alternate energy (please not ethanol) and stop borrowing money from abroad.
The are all painful but THEY WILL BE SHORT TERM AND HAVE A MOJOR AFFECT ON OIL PRICES. Even a major national discussion of 55 mph would cause a drop. Our present administration is an enabler for all sorts of missdeeds abroad and at home because of their ineptitude and lack of regulation enforcement. But then, most govts. are.
The people from the ground up know the importance of discipline to attain desired goals. Right now, many of your comments indicate you’re not ready as you wait for someone else to do it for you though many are. You are the govt.
The problem(s) with our highway system is (are) 1. The speed limits are set at a speed where even the most brain dead motorists in the most dilapidated beaters can maintain control of their vehicles without endangering others. 2. The average motorist does not practice proper driving etiquette. Be it driving well below the prevailing average motorway speed whilst putting along in the left lane. Not using turn signals, passing on the right, talking on the phone whilst driving, etc. If you want to make the highways safer, don’t worry about speeding, there are several highways (8 lanes) that would be perfectly safe at speeds around 100 MPH provided the driver and the car were up to the task. What needs to be done is for law enforcement to start cracking down on drivers who fail to exhibit proper driving manners; similar to how they handle them in Germany. As for the “But think about all the extra fuel” argument. Nobody is keeping you from driving 55 MPH; just keep it in the right lane.
“The people from the ground up know the importance of discipline to attain desired goals. Right now, many of your comments indicate you’re not ready as you wait for someone else to do it for you though many are. You are the govt.”
Please do not associate me with the U.S. government just because I think this speed limit is a terrible idea, I really do not wish to be associated with any U.S. government. I only want and expect one thing from the government, I want them to stay the &*%$ out of my way.
Regarding discipline, most americans work very hard for what they want, and if they choose to use more (cheap) fuel they will. If you want folks to use less fuel, allow the prices to reach realistic levels. If you want to reduce imports and avoid stupid oil wars, then limit imports and let the market take care of the prices. When prices get high enough we will either drive slower, drive less, drive a more efficient car, or move elsewhere. None of these “speed limit” mandates will work, they will simply result in more people paying more traffic tickets and local police wasting resources on traffic enforcement instead of real crime. The only way to reduce fuel consumption is to make fuel much more expensive, would you be willing to do something that “painful” if you had to run for re-election in a couple of years? Also, you cannot use market forces to control OPEC prices, they will simply adjust production to maintain their target price, which they have stated to be a minimum of $90US. They can live with reduced production much longer than the U.S. can live with reduced consumption, and they know it.
Regarding Iraq, no one who is paying attention takes the U.S. withdrawal seriously. The U.S. will either have a considerable number of troops in Iraq for decades or Iraq will dissolve into several states and/or become part of Iran. There are only two realistic outcomes, the U.S. bails out (i.e., Vietnam) and lets the “majority” have their way; or the U.S. stays and supports their puppet government indefinitely. Either way, it will be very ugly and will provide a home for the next generation of “terrorists” (either by showing that they can “win” or by giving them a very visible enemy). The U.S. lost this one the minute they decided to get involved. Ironically, the U.S. revolution was won using the same strategy that the “insurgency” in Iraq is currently using. All they have to do is avoid major “battles” where they might take significant losses, survive underground, and wait for the invaders to give up and go home; just ask George Washington. Maybe the U.S. should try electing leaders who have actually read at least one history book.
General McArthur, a successful WWII veteran warned anyone who would listen or would not listen(Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson,etc.):“DON’T START A LAND WAR IN ASIA!!”. He knew from experience.
Starting with the British in the 1800s in Afganistan, the Boer War, the French in Indo China, the US in Vietnam, the Russians in Afganistan, a local land war is hideously costly in human lives and money, and is virtually unwinnable.
Craig is right; politicians don’t know their history or they think they can do the impossible.
"General McArthur, a successful WWII veteran warned anyone who would listen or would not listen(Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson,etc.):“DON’T START A LAND WAR IN ASIA!!”. He knew from experience. "
The thought is right on IMO. Unfortunately, we are not in the mideast for anything but the oil pumps. MOST retired generals (non to eager to admitt while serving) agree to that. We treat the middle east like puppets of their own regimes. We become energy independent and leave, we are better off. We supply most of the military equipment in the mideast, our best export being war. Unbelievable, that we still believe we should have stayed in Vietnam when now they are trading partners and were never taken over by China as feared that we could have faired any better by staying. I knew that, as did most of my bros. when serving during the war.
If you can’t see the link between our lack of oil conservation and our failed national policies, then by all means continue not being part of the solution because you don’t want to be associated with our govt. Craig58 and run everyone who does off the road.
Being independent in deed not words is the ultimate statement of national unity.
I believe that if you can afford an SUV and are willing to pay the price at the pump, it’s your right. Otherwise I can’t complain about those prices if I’m not willing to sacrifice.
To think that 55 mph is big bros. intrusion into your life is to forget…WE ALREADY HAVE SPEED LIMITS or TRAPS for that matter. It’s just a matter of degree.
I feel most for the ind. truckers that for some reason can’t past the cost of fuel on to the rest of us. We they can, we’ll see conservation in a new light.
