Campaign For 55MPH Speed Limit Renewed

Last Edited: Tuesday, 19 Aug 2008, 6:09 AM EDT
Created: Tuesday, 19 Aug 2008, 2:09 AM EDT



Nearly 15 years after it was removed by Congress, the effort to limit driving speed in the United States to 55 mph is back.

The national 55-miles-per-hour speed limit was introduced in 1970s.

Proposed by President Nixon and enacted in January 1974, the nationwide speed limit was supposed to be a temporary emergency response to oil shortages and was to expire in mid-1975, but Congress quickly made it permanent.

>> Detroit Driver Can't Drive 55 (Video: MyFoxDetroit)

It wasn't very popular at the time and didn't endure very long. Congress abolished the law in 1995 after more than 20 years.

But now that gas prices are hovering near $4 per gallon, some think it might be a good time to revisit the idea. Backers say federal speed limits could save fuel, money and probably lives.

However, opponents argue any fuel savings would be minimal and that higher speed limits haven't made highways less safe.

While the idea of slowing down to save gas makes sense, if drivers don't buy into it, it won't help ease the problem. And as Sammy Hagar said, many of us just "can't drive 55."

It was stupid then, it's stupid now.

55 is way too slow. 70 on the expressway is entirely too slow.

The only thing it's going to accomplish is irritate a lot of people and help clog roads since traffic will not flow as quickly or efficiently.

Who has the picture? Oh Geez, not this shit again....

You wanna drive 55, get over in the RH lane and have at it.

in a large, not-so-aerodynamic vehicle, there can be siginificant gas mileage increases when you drop down your speed on the freeway...but i think most cars that aren't large trucks/SUVs don't benefit too much with a drop in speed...

going 70mph on a lengthy road trip is agonizing enough...

The limit around here is already 55. Of course, the slowest car on the tollway is usually doing about 70.

I don't know about back in the day, but there was a thread not too long ago in which a consensus was developed that 55mph is in most cases not the most fuel-efficient speed for today's passenger cars.

I"m not sure it would do much good.

There are plenty of areas on the interstate here that go down to 55 and folks zoom through at 75mph anyway.

That said, i try to drive slower whenever i can as in my car, i save a SHITLOAD of gas driving 55 or 60 as opposed to 70 or 75.


Kevin

Bring it on! Last time they did, Montana passed a $5 fine for any and all speeding. Since it cost about $35 to process the ticket, not many were written.

That may have been effective back in the seventies when 2 and three speed automatic trannies and 3 and 4 speed manuals were the norm, but its quite outdated in usefullness with the current 6 speed manuals and overdrive autos.

Where I live, people have been sorting themselves out nicely into slower traffic right, faster traffic left, all at no cost to the taxpayer, and with no increase in government meddling. Imagine that.

I expect that more than a few areas will sign onto the "drive 55" initiative, though, simply because it'll provide a massive boost in speeding-ticket revenue. With property tax collections lagging, additional sources of revenue are needed to feed the hydra.

The insurance lobby is probably backing this effort behind the scenes in a big way, as tickets give them license to jack your premiums significantly.

It wasn't all that "efficient" back in the 70's either. The states will have to adjust the tax system to compensate for any loss of revenue due to a decrease in gas consumption.

AAAAAAGGHHH! DIE, MOMMY STATE SCUM! I HAVE PLACES TO BE AND PEOPLE TO DO, DAMMIT!

You know these are the same jerks that fantasize about coming for your SUV next.

quote:

Originally posted by Bovineguy:
Who has the picture? Oh Geez, not this shit again....

Many (most?) modern cars with half decent aerodynamics are actually just as, if not more, fuel efficient at 70 mph than at 55 mph. I noticed it with my Magnum. Between Dallas and Houston I would actually get better mileage at 75 mph than 65 mph.

If the speed limit was set to 55, people might drive 75. Right now, with a posted speed limit of 65-70, people regularly drive 80-90 miles per hour on highways. I was just back home in Wisconsin, who has some of the worst rude drivers, and I was just shocked at how fast and aggressive people drive (and I'm used to LA traffic).

The real problem is the being on a highway where you have people who refuse to drive faster than 55 with people on the road going 100. The 5 freeway through the San Joaquin valley is notorious for this. It makes going around the speed limit dangerous.

The worse problem beyond this is that we'd all be fine with a 70 mile per hour speed limit if the police actually enforced the speed limit in certain parts of the country. In LA, it's regular to see some hopped up BMX driven by a drug dealing gang banger driving 120 through traffic. Maybe instead of spending money on this type of legislation, local law enforcement should spend some money on automatic photo tickets on the highways to actually enforce existing laws.

How much would it cost to replace the thousands of speed limit signs? I'm sure that figure alone would boggle the mind.

quote:

Originally posted by Cineski:
If the speed limit was set to 55, people might drive 75. Right now, with a posted speed limit of 65-70, people regularly drive 80-90 miles per hour on highways. I was just back home in Wisconsin, who has some of the worst rude drivers, and I was just shocked at how fast and aggressive people drive (and I'm used to LA traffic).

The real problem is the being on a highway where you have people who refuse to drive faster than 55 with people on the road going 100. The 5 freeway through the San Joaquin valley is notorious for this. It makes going around the speed limit dangerous.

The worse problem beyond this is that we'd all be fine with a 70 mile per hour speed limit if the police actually enforced the speed limit in certain parts of the country. In LA, it's regular to see some hopped up BMX driven by a drug dealing gang banger driving 120 through traffic. Maybe instead of spending money on this type of legislation, local law enforcement should spend some money on automatic photo tickets on the highways to actually enforce existing laws.

70mph speed limit, in LA? Everyone does 80-85 anyway. Photo enforced? California has gone to your head. You're getting used to the control factor.

We have a stretch of I10 between Kerrville and Fort Stockton TX (and other places) where the posted speed limit is 80.

Works for me.