National speed limit 55mph proposal?

[lordhawhaw]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and possibly ease fuel prices.

National speed limit pushed as gas saver - CNN.com

[hockey005]

yea thats so useless..i would be pissed if that we to happen...and so would evryerone else

[AirMoore]

http://www.radardetector.net/forums/...mit-redux.html



Yeah, road rage incidents will sky rocket. Though with that being said in NYS, the speed limit is 55MPH statewide unless otherwise noted, and there are very few places that are actually 65MPH (Thruway).

[JDS]

Fu<k him.

[Fritter]

I can't agree more. Anyone who has ever driven the I-10 stretch between Junction and El Paso would never be able to do it at 55. It is the longest, straightest piece of road I have ever driven on.

My average speed is 85 with the posted speed limit at 80.

Besides, I might be wrong, and according to most of you I am, but running the engine at higher RPMs runs it cleaner and you get better fuel efficiency.

I know my minivan(stop laughing) gets up to 25 mpg on long trips where my speed is up to 70 where at lower speeds it tends to hover around 15 to 18.

F

[SmaartAasSaabr]

I can't agree more. Anyone who has ever driven the I-10 stretch between Junction and El Paso would never be able to do it at 55. It is the longest, straightest piece of road I have ever driven on.

My average speed is 85 with the posted speed limit at 80.

Besides, I might be wrong, and according to most of you I am, but running the engine at higher RPMs runs it cleaner and you get better fuel efficiency.

I know my minivan(stop laughing) gets up to 25 mpg on long trips where my speed is up to 70 where at lower speeds it tends to hover around 15 to 18.

F

The biggest thing about the efficiency is to keep going steadily, normally when one drives slow you are doing lots of stops and that burns a LOT of fuel. To push the car at 70 for a couple of hours at a time takes practically nothing. Also the engine is most efficient at a certain speed (not 6 000 r/min or 600) and a higher throttle opening.

[Whistler1]

To all,

I'm for one am interested in seeing a national spped limit reestablished in the name of saving fuel. But I think it should be 65 vs 55. I know some will disagree with me here.

Let me ask this question, what are you doing to help reduce the cost of fuel.

1. We as a country need to establish a national energy policy. A first institute a nation wide national speed limit.

2. Give a tax incentive to purchase more fuel efficient autos.

3. Allow more domestic drilling.

4. Increase refining capacity state side.

Most of these are not popular with the political powers that be or enviromentalists.


There is my 2 cents worth.

[Freebird]

Being a truck driver I have learned a thing or two about traffic flow. Lowering the speed to 55 would create a traffic jam nightmare and be very unsafe. Unsafe due to people doing 55 becoming obsticales for violators to zip in and out of, jumping from one lane to another causing a unsafe environment for all of us to drive. The most effective way to flow volumes of traffic is all traffic flowing at the same pace and noone changing lanes. The faster the pace the more volume flows. Like a firehose compared to a garden hose. We have a heck of alot more volume than we did in 1974. Slow down the flow to 55 would be like fighting a housefire with a garden hose. Also I find 55 is unsafe for me as a driver in the areas like fritter describes. 55 does not give enough brain stimulation thus causing you to become a drowsy driver.. I cant drive 55 for long without becoming sleepy and having to resort to stimulating my brain by counting lines, highway markers etc to stay awake.

[lugnuts]

The biggest thing about the efficiency is to keep going steadily, normally when one drives slow you are doing lots of stops and that burns a LOT of fuel. To push the car at 70 for a couple of hours at a time takes practically nothing. Also the engine is most efficient at a certain speed (not 6 000 r/min or 600) and a higher throttle opening.

COF and aerodynamics take affect at higher speeds so at some point fuel efficiency starts to drop off as it becomes harder for the engine to push the vehicle through the air.

to say there is one set speed/RPM that is most efficient is nonsense. every vehicle is going to be different and have a different "ideal" speed for fuel efficiency based on many factors.

[lugnuts]

To all,

I'm for one am interested in seeing a national spped limit reestablished in the name of saving fuel. But I think it should be 65 vs 55. I know some will disagree with me here.

Let me ask this question, what are you doing to help reduce the cost of fuel.

1. We as a country need to establish a national energy policy. A first institute a nation wide national speed limit.

2. Give a tax incentive to purchase more fuel efficient autos.

3. Allow more domestic drilling.

4. Increase refining capacity state side.

Most of these are not popular with the political powers that be or enviromentalists.


There is my 2 cents worth.

you want more government involvement? maybe you were not around in the 70's when the government tried to get involved with the high price of fuel but it was a flop the 55 speed limit was a joke the price regulations were a joke.

this is a free country and right now we have a free market were the market/demand sets the price. I would rather see it this way then have the government get involved again and have to wait in line for 2 hours on the odd day of the week for fuel.