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Could "55" Return To The Highways?

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This entry was posted on 7/5/2008 10:07 AM and is filed under uncategorized.

"I CAN'T DRIVE... 55!!!" - Sammy Hagar (Click here for lyrics.)

In 1974, during the Arab oil embargo, the Federal government passed a law mandating that no posted speed limit on any road should be higher than 55 MPH.

20 years later, limits were raised to a maximum of 65 MPH on rural interstates, and then the Federal mandated speed limits were abolished altogether. Some western states have rural interstates with speed limits as high as 75 to 80 MPH.

Well, folks, our Federal government, in its infinite wisdom, may want to return us all back to the slow-poke days of 55 MPH... or at least that what U.S. Senator John Warner (R-Virginia) would like to see us do.

Read all about it in this article from CNN.com.

<BEGIN TIRADE>
Never mind that the Federal government is allowing "big oil" and the greedy $%#@!@! who have been pushing oil prices to unholy prices per barrel, not to mention the lack of progress on implementing alternative fuels and alternative engines (i.e. "hybrids").

As evidenced both here, and recently abroad in such places as Spain and Australia, truckers are ticked off over the rising cost of diesel fuel (currently around $4.90 per gallon here in Metro Atlanta). Heck, its all the truckers (especially independent ones) can do to be able to afford to fill their big rigs up and still be able to make a living hauling freight.

Does our Federal government give a rat's butt? NO!!!

Instead of working toward making energy costs affordable to both hard-working individuals and businesses alike, our infintely wise politicians just want to tell us to "slow down a little.".

As J.T. Legg of Peach State Roads posted on misc.transport.road (MTR), I can't imagine being restricted again to going a mere 55 MPH on such rural Georgia roads as I-16... or for that matter I-20, I-75, I-85, or I-185.

Also on MTR, Comrade Otto Yamamoto of "The Comrade Yamamoto Experience" chimed in saying that the problem isn't with the supply... it's with the greed!!!

Mary and I own a Honda CR-V, which gets about 21 miles per gallon (MPG) with regular stop-and go driving around town... but when we are on the open road going 65-70 MPH on our roadtrips to Florida, and most recently to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, we were getting about 26-28 MPG. Why do we get this good mileage? Simple... when you are on a stretch of open road where you are keeping the vehicle at a steady speed (as opposed to stopping and starting constantly in city traffic), your fuel efficiency will only go up.

Furthermore, many trucks (IIRC) already have regulators that will keep their speeds at a maximum of 60-65 MPH anyway. (If I'm wrong, then please feel free to correct me on this.)

Senator Warner (and other elected officials out there), we don't need you to treat us, the American people, like little children and tell us to "slow down". We need for politicians on both sides of the aisle (Republican and Democrat) to work toward energy affordable. By doing so, you will be giving our economy a significant "shot in the arm" by allowing prices to decrease (when transportation costs decrease) and allowing regular working-class Americans to be able to drive both for business (i.e. their jobs) and pleasure (i.e. tourism).

Again, to quote Sammy Hagar... "I CAN'T DRIVE... 55!!!"

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That's my $0.02 for now. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

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    • 7/5/2008 11:36 AM Doug Kerr wrote:
      As an owner of a Honda CR-V myself, I can relate to the fuel efficiency afforded on the open road. As for bringing back the 55 mph NMSL, it's really just smoke and mirrors so it looks like the government is doing something about gas prices. Instead, we should be striving towards energy independence, and the development of energy alternatives, instead of calling for an artificially low speed limit.
      Reply to this
    • 7/5/2008 1:36 PM Bryant wrote:
      This is a very, very bad idea. Driving at a constant speed, like you said Steve, will help conserve gas. Having to speed up and slow down because of ridiculous speed reductions is the problem.
      Reply to this
    • 7/15/2008 12:33 PM Russell W. wrote:
      Wife and I have an '08 Ford Escape (4cyl). Mixed driving, to and from Savannah each day from our palatial bedroom town of Rincon, yields 21-22 MPG. Both of us on the highway, usually 25-ish.

      But coming back from Alabama last weekend, I copped 28.5 MPG. Best I've ever gotten.

      How? On the interstates, instead of setting the cruise at 75-76 as I've done in the past, I tried 70-71. It was late at night anyway, and I practically had I-16 to myself.

      Re 55: NEVER AGAIN, PLEASE. That's too @#$%ing slow for an interstate!! BUT ... I'm beginning to wonder if a 65 MPH limit might help more than harm. Optimum mileage is 60-65, above that - even at a steady highway clip - your MPG starts dipping.

      Even so, in the face of my Libertarian tendencies, lowering the limit might help those of us who are trying to VOLUNTARILY tweak our gas mileage. Face it, if I tried going an even 70 along I-16 in the daytime, I'd be flattened. And heaven forbid I try it on I-75 in south Ga.!!

      Tackling the problems we have is going to require a multiple-pronged approach: First, take the speculators and strap them to the back of an old '78 Pinto and then rear-end it.

      Second, allow responsible drilling offshore and, yes, in ANWR. Heck, this issue is a smokescreen anyway. If Congress lifts the ban, that will expose Big Oil for the greedy tw*ts they are ... they're sitting on capped wells on what they already own!! Greenlight it, and tell 'em to start drilling, or else we'll confiscate their land, revoke their tax breaks and use that money to start some price controls on fuel. We're at war, as our illustrious leaders remind us, so this should be treated for the national security issue it is.

      (side thought - if speculation is based on prediction, then lifting drill bans would cause oil prices to drop ... wouldn't they?)

      Third, we need to become like Brazil - energy independent. Importing oil from those guys out there is funding terrorism. At the pump, we're not just prepaying for our gas ... we're prepaying for our next 9/11!

      And more hybrids or pure electric cars need to be ramped up two hours ago.

      Something needs to be done for the present problems and start building for the future. In 1956 the interstate system began ... but did we close off the old two-lane Federal routes?

      Give us some food now while sowing the seeds in another field. When those bear fruit, then we say buh-bye to oil.

      But can it be done? Maybe the oilmen all need to be strapped to Pintos, too.
      Reply to this
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