[mjd1001]

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.

Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit.

Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.

Warner cited studies that showed the 55 mph speed limit saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2 percent of the country's highway fuel consumption, while avoiding up to 4,000 traffic deaths a year.

full article here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/03/warner.speed.limit.ap/index.html

 

[CobaltSScrazy]

great the gov't is just going to write a TON more tickets and make insurance companies rich...a special interest group get to this guy or what?

CobaltSS

Horrible idea. Make it state by state. You don't need a 55mph speed limit in Montana or South Dakota or Michigan or Florida. You may need it in Mass., NY, or Cali.

 

[SierraGS]

Bad idea and a flawed study.

The 55 MPH limit made little difference in the speed people drove and only made everyone disrespect "laws" in general.

Drill for oil and develop all alternative sources - that is the real answer.

 

[kyvrwc]

It didn't work before because it was widely ignored before. It would be again. Speed limits (even today) are primarily revenue generators for the state.

Perhaps someone should factor in the amount of damage done to the economy because of time lost traveling at slower speeds. I know it only makes a couple of minutes difference to each person to drive at 55 instead of 65 during the average commute, but if you multiply that by the total number of commuters in the country per work day I'll bet you come up with some astronomical figure in the billions of dollars.

Jeez, doesn't anyone believe in Federalism any more?

 

[mjd1001]

great the gov't is just going to write a TON more tickets and make insurance companies rich...a special interest group get to this guy or what?

CobaltSS

Horrible idea. Make it state by state. You don't need a 55mph speed limit in Montana or South Dakota or Michigan or Florida. You may need it in Mass., NY, or Cali.

I agree with making it state by state..but some of your suggestions are a bit off. NY is one of the states that probably DOESN'T need it to be 55. Most places where there would be an opportunity to go over 55 for any large stretch are upsate, in areas Between Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, or Syracuse where there is little traffic...or on the Southern Tier Expressway where there is virtually no traffic.

On the other hand, my personal beleif is Rt95 down the East Coast of Florida is in need of a lower limit. I make somewhat frequent trips from Daytona Beach to Miami and back, and I see more of the most reckless high speed driving there (and pretty bad accidents also) than I do virtually anywhere else I travel for work.

 

[Uzzy]

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. It seems lawmakers don't take a look back in the archives.

This is terrible news for Sammy Hagar, as well.

 

[Murrow]

Wow... that's a pretty unrepublican idea, Senator.

 

[Neanderthal]

Warner is a RINO.

People like him don't care about results, they are after the appearance of doing something.

What can I do to make it look like I'm doing something? is what motivates about 90% of con-grease IMHO.

This is a states' rights issue, everything the feds touch ends up more expensive and worse.
See NCLB for further details.


The People need to get all over this by writing our "representatives" before this BS gains momentum.

 

[elderon]

Assuming people actually followed the speed limit - it would save gas. However I think it should be up to the individual if they want to drive slower to save on fuel or not.

 

[IROCNROL1]

This is a states' rights issue, everything the feds touch ends up more expensive and worse.
See NCLB for further details.

Are there really any states' rights left? The wrong side won the Uncivil War.

 

[casket_demon]

Another politician looking for an easy fix,with no real results.

 

[Stéphane Dumas]

I begin to ponder if I should join the NMA (National Motorist Association) asap? http://www.motorists.org/

 

[IROCNROL1]

Assuming people actually followed the speed limit - it would save gas. However I think it should be up to the individual if they want to drive slower to save on fuel or not.

Individual rights have gone or are rapidly going the way of states rights.

 

[Hurricane]

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.

Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit.

Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.

Warner cited studies that showed the 55 mph speed limit saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2 percent of the country's highway fuel consumption, while avoiding up to 4,000 traffic deaths a year.

full article here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/03/warner.speed.limit.ap/index.html

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

 

[cincygoblue]

So, let me get this straight . . . .

2% of US highway gasonline usage. Hmm. How much does that translate to overall US oil consumption? How much of the global demand will this reduce?

Politicians like this should be voted out. Why do we keep electing people that say one thing and do another? Why do we keep electing people who pass ineffectual and dumb laws like this, because they "sound like" they'll make a difference? And CAFE?

 

[RamJet502]

How do these idiots still have jobs?

 

[TheWraith]

FLAWED IDEA

it only had potential to save money BEFORE the dawn of overdrive transmissions, which was clearly the case in the 70's.

I'm sure less than 10% of the vehicles on the road do not have overdrive transmissions, and the majority of vehicles made in the last 15-20 years are geared such that they get peak mileage at 60, 65, or even 70 mph. i've owned 3 6 speed manual cars now (and still own 2), and every one of them would have the 6th gear rendered completely worthless by a country wide 55 mph speed limit, which would also mean worse fuel mileage, as i would be taching higher in 5th gear at 55mph that i would be in 6th gear at 65mph.

hell even the brand new EPA regulations include a test of up to 80 miles per hour, so gas mileage figures would need to be completely revisited again for all new cars, and odds are they would probably all fall.

does the us government want to compensate me for that lost utility and lost gas mileage or pay me for a rear gear ratio swap? I don't think so.

 

[87aero]

Those claims are using the data shown to have been flawed when this was done back in the 70's.

Besides fuel economy at lower speeds is only prevalent on trucks vans and suv's which suffer from much high wind and mechanical resistance at those speeds. My old Lumina with a bajillion miles on it does no better at 55 than 75 miles an hour becuase it's small, aerodynamic, and has a small 160 horse V6. I just took from a 400 mile trip wednesday and made 31 mpg with cruise set at 75mph and the ac on. There's no benefit to slowing down in a car like that.

Law or not, I for one will not slow down so that the people making poor fuel econmy choices can get better mileage.

With everything else in this country spinning towards the way things were in the 70's. I just don't understand all this thinking coming from Congress and Obama that wants to encourage it. Thank God I'm too young to have lived in the 70's but from the way people talk it wasn't the proudest of times and if we go back we are unlikely to ever get somone like RR back in office change things in Washington.

 

[triadecho]

I lived through the last 55mph, and it was a dangerous disaster with very low compliance.

Truckers formed 90 mph convoys with dozens of trucks that would blow you off the road.

Think of the cost of changing millions of signs....again.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Pssh. Screw that. Nobody's going to follow it. 65's bad enough here in Ohio, much less 55.