Will the 55 mph speed limit be reintroduced?

[gypsyman]

I fear that in another effort to save us from ourselves, congress will resurrect this monster in an effort to save on the national fuel bill. Just think of the additional revenue the tickets would produce. Would you support it?

 

[miketheidiot]

i think cars nowdays have higher peak millages than in the past, also, at 55 mph it takes me about 40% longer to get to my destination.

I would oppose this furiously

 

[1prophet]

What's next, the 85mph speedometer gauge law reintroduced?

 

[nageov3t]

I'd support a 65-mph + double fines national speed limit.

F 55, though... even going 70-80, it still took me an hour to commute to work before I moved.

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: gypsyman
I fear that in another effort to save us from ourselves, congress will resurrect this monster in an effort to save on the national fuel bill. Just think of the additional revenue the tickets would produce. Would you support it?

If Congress is really serious about saving our own butts, then they need to either increase local oil supply, increase R&D for alternative fuel, mandate higher MPG on all new cars and improve mass transit options!

Re-introducing the 55MPH speed limit is a red-herring which does nothing but give a "lip service" to the people! It solves nothing except making Congress looks good to the people.

 

[Slick5150]

Most police agencies are finally agreeing that speed limits should be raised to meet the realities of how people are going to drive. Accidents are caused by people going too fast per se, they're caused by large variations in speeds. With the speed limit at 70 most cars are then going between 70-80mph. If you drop it back down to 55, you'll then have people still driving that fast so they'll range from 55-80mph and you'll have many more accidents.

I understand you're asking in regards to fuel savings, but you'd see a lot of opposition to this from a public safety standpoint.

 

[AnnonUSA]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I'd support a 65-mph + double fines national speed limit.

F 55, though... even going 70-80, it still took me an hour to commute to work before I moved.

That statement is illogical. Why would you support higher speed (65 is not high enough) and double fines? Sadly this is a tactic used already, speeds were raised and speeding fines were increased. Speed enforcement is all about revenue, as are the red light cameras.

Safety does not factor into these laws.

 

[Firebot]

You spend much more gas going from 0-30 then you do from 30 to 65. Eliminating stop n' goes (i.e. lights and traffic) would do far more then lowering the speed limit.

 

[Lemon law]

Very little of this nations driving is done on interstates where a 55 v 75 MPH metric applies. But in such 75 v 55 metrics, its true that past about 55 MPH, the aerodynamics drag starts to becomes a significant factor in fuel efficiency for both cars and trucks. But for those folks, the engine is no longer cold so its finally operating efficiently, and for many of them, wasted time is money.

For the few that operate at sustained high speeds, we would be better off in insisting on aerodynamic vehicles for just that set, rather than pretend a 55 MPH national speed limit
will save us any fuel in a 2 MPH traffic jam.

 

[MovingTarget]

Just for reference, there was a thread/poll in The Garage a little while back about that.

I can't drive fifty-fiiiiiiiive!

 

[Excelsior]

Hell no. I'd actually support a much higher speed limit (at least on interstates) if none at all. If the weather is good, traffic isn't bad, and one is driving a sufficient vehicle then I don't see why he or she shouldn't be allowed to drive 80+.

 

[BoomerD]

I remember the uproar when NIXON introduced the national 55 MPH speed limit in 1974. People hated it.
One thing I remember was right after it was implemented, a group of people (I think) in the Seattle area decided to take it upon themselves to be traffic regulators.
They'd get on the freeway in groups, several miles apart and drive 55 in ALL lanes, totally blocking anyone from driving any faster. Someone tried to sue the group for it and was shot down. It was completely legal to do what they did. (IMO, it made them asshats, but that's beside the fact)

I lived with the national 55 speed limit for about 15 years, until in the late 80's, Congress permitted 65 mph in certain areas, then totally repealed the national limits in 95.

I hated it, but drove it, (or close to it...maybe 60-62) to avoid the tickets.

IF the government did it again, I'd hate it again, but I'd still slow down and drive the reduced speed limits.

(BTW, in 1986, the ultra-conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, came out against the national speed limit, and claimed that in spite of government claims of fuel savings, in fact, the reduced speeds only saved about 1%.)
http://www.heritage.org/Research/SmartGrowth/bg532.cfm

Edit: Fixed my presidential slip-up...hey, it was a LONG time ago...I've slept since then.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I remember the uproar when Carter introduced the national 55 MPH speed limit in 1974.

 

[CycloWizard]

This law makes no sense today. In the days when all cars had similar aerodynamic profiles and engine performance curves, there was a reasonable expectation of cars getting improved mileage at around 55 MPH. Now, variable valve timing, improved aerodynamics (which vary dramatically with make and model), among other things, render this thinking useless.

My 1990 Acura Integra (may she RIP) got better mileage between 80 and 85 mph than at any other speed range. It was never legal for me to drive that fast, but I did so fairly often to save on gas. My mileage was improved by about 20% over driving at 65 MPH, which saved me a lot of money over the life of the car.

Bottom line: speed limits should be the result of a traffic engineer's determination of a maximum SAFE speed on a given road, not congress' perception of what will give the best average mileage. If a road is safe for me to travel 120 MPH on, then the limit should be at or above 120 MPH. If it's only safe to drive 30 MPH, then that should be the speed limit. Instead, right now, we have speed limits that are artificially low to ensure higher revenues through speeding tickets in the name of improved mileage.

 

[MovingTarget]

I'd support it personally, but with today's cars it is just too easy/natural to drive at higher speeds on the interstate. Modern cars are much improved aerodynamically and are the most efficient at 55-70mph. Between people's current driving habits and technological advancement, I'd say the limit needs to be a bit higher, say, set at 65mph.

The effect will be small when calculated individually (per vehicle), but overall we would save quite a bit. The overall decrease in consumption of gasoline would help to ease oil prices for a while.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
I'd support it personally, but with today's cars it is just too easy/natural to drive at higher speeds on the interstate. Modern cars are much improved aerodynamically and are the most efficient at 55-70mph. Between people's current driving habits and technological advancement, I'd say the limit needs to be a bit higher, say, set at 65mph.

The effect will be small when calculated individually (per vehicle), but overall we would save quite a bit. The overall decrease in consumption of gasoline would help to ease oil prices for a while.

The idea that it would decrease consumption is simply wrong. In some vehicles, driving 70 MPH would give maximum mileage, while in others, 90 or higher would give higher mileage. You simply can't lump all cars into the same bin anymore.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I remember the uproar when Carter introduced the national 55 MPH speed limit in 1974.

Duh...how'd that slip in there?

Let's make that Richard Nixon...

 

[StageLeft]

*@(# NO

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: miketheidiot
i think cars nowdays have higher peak millages than in the past, also, at 55 mph it takes me about 40% longer to get to my destination.

I would oppose this furiously

But still peak milage if probably around 45. This is where you can into your top gear and basically coast at this speed. I dont think it should be lowered as people do seem to be driving slower at this moment.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
I'd support it personally, but with today's cars it is just too easy/natural to drive at higher speeds on the interstate. Modern cars are much improved aerodynamically and are the most efficient at 55-70mph. Between people's current driving habits and technological advancement, I'd say the limit needs to be a bit higher, say, set at 65mph.

The effect will be small when calculated individually (per vehicle), but overall we would save quite a bit. The overall decrease in consumption of gasoline would help to ease oil prices for a while.

The idea that it would decrease consumption is simply wrong. In some vehicles, driving 70 MPH would give maximum mileage, while in others, 90 or higher would give higher mileage. You simply can't lump all cars into the same bin anymore.

I highly doubt this is the case. Above around 50mph, wide resistance because a huge factor. The rule of thumb is for every 10mph faster you go, it costs you 4mpg.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: gypsyman
I fear that in another effort to save us from ourselves, congress will resurrect this monster in an effort to save on the national fuel bill. Just think of the additional revenue the tickets would produce. Would you support it?

There's nothing to prevent us poor, working-class folks from driving 55 mph on the highway right now, is there?

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
I'd support it personally, but with today's cars it is just too easy/natural to drive at higher speeds on the interstate. Modern cars are much improved aerodynamically and are the most efficient at 55-70mph. Between people's current driving habits and technological advancement, I'd say the limit needs to be a bit higher, say, set at 65mph.

The effect will be small when calculated individually (per vehicle), but overall we would save quite a bit. The overall decrease in consumption of gasoline would help to ease oil prices for a while.

The idea that it would decrease consumption is simply wrong. In some vehicles, driving 70 MPH would give maximum mileage, while in others, 90 or higher would give higher mileage. You simply can't lump all cars into the same bin anymore.

I highly doubt this is the case. Above around 50mph, wide resistance because a huge factor. The rule of thumb is for every 10mph faster you go, it costs you 4mpg.

Yeah. Doesn't resistance increase exponentially relative to speed?

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: gypsyman
I fear that in another effort to save us from ourselves, congress will resurrect this monster in an effort to save on the national fuel bill. Just think of the additional revenue the tickets would produce. Would you support it?

There's nothing to prevent us poor, working-class folks from driving 55 mph on the highway right now, is there?

Yes there is.. safety.

I'd support a 60mph limit. People could still drive 70 if they want to waste fuel and arrive 16% earlier, or think that highway driving is exhilerating and fun.

 

[Uhtrinity]

Like I mentioned in the Garage thread, most of the time I'm not in a hurry. So I take the old highways with a 55 mph speed limit (these parallel our interstates). It means 80 mpg and better for me vs. the 65 - 70 mpg I get driving at 75mph. Well worth it to my pocket book. For those that say they get as good if not better mpg at 65mph plus, it looks like you don't monitor gas mileage closely.

Some others are also correct about stop and go driving being terrible. Worst case stop and go mileage can be half the mpg of the worst highway mileage.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: gypsyman
I fear that in another effort to save us from ourselves, congress will resurrect this monster in an effort to save on the national fuel bill. Just think of the additional revenue the tickets would produce. Would you support it?

There's nothing to prevent us poor, working-class folks from driving 55 mph on the highway right now, is there?

Yes there is.. safety.

I'd support a 60mph limit. People could still drive 70 if they want to waste fuel and arrive 16% earlier, or think that highway driving is exhilerating and fun.

55 can be driven on most highways except during peak hours.
Other drivers may get irritated and create a safety issue.
Rear enders are caused by people who are not paying attention, not the driver in the front.