crude oil prices
high gas prices
national highway system
national speed limit
speeding
speeding excessively
Should we have a national speed limit to save oil?
By scorpiobabes
@scorpiobabes (7225)
United States
July 4, 2008 11:43am CST
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/should-there-be-a-national-speed-limit/20080704080009990001?icid=100214839x1205129613x1200226314
Remember the oil crisis of the 70s, when the national speed limit was maxed out at 55 mph? The law was repealed 13 years ago, when crude was a mere (GASP!) $17 a barrel (yes, you read that right!). Crude closed yesterday at...
$145.29 a barrel!
Where will this end? I think they should lower to 55 mph, but for a number of other reasons...inexperienced teenagers getting behind the wheel on roadways that are 70 mph--the first time I encountered that was a little over 2 years ago and I was driving SLOW! At 34 years of age--how's a 16 or 17-year old supposed to make those kinds of split-second decisions (it was hard enough with 17+ LEGAL years of driving!) 
I'd also like to see higher fines for moving violations...hit 'em where it hurts! The police officers really shouldn't be letting anyone off nowadays.
So what other things would you suggest to save oil? (besides maintaining your vehicle). Maybe someone can win the Nobel or something...let's try to end the gas crisis! 
Where will this end? I think they should lower to 55 mph, but for a number of other reasons...inexperienced teenagers getting behind the wheel on roadways that are 70 mph--the first time I encountered that was a little over 2 years ago and I was driving SLOW! At 34 years of age--how's a 16 or 17-year old supposed to make those kinds of split-second decisions (it was hard enough with 17+ LEGAL years of driving!)
I'd also like to see higher fines for moving violations...hit 'em where it hurts! The police officers really shouldn't be letting anyone off nowadays.
So what other things would you suggest to save oil? (besides maintaining your vehicle). Maybe someone can win the Nobel or something...let's try to end the gas crisis! 1 person likes this
7 responses
@Wolfechu (1193)
• United States
4 Jul 08
I thought we had a national speed limit?
And I'm not sure, but isn't slowing down cars actually making them less fuel efficient? Isn't driving through a city centre at snail's paces less efficient than actually putting your foot down on the highway?
How about using mass transit more instead? Or even, and I know this one is foreign to a lot of people, how about walking the half-mile to the store?
1 person likes this
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
4 Jul 08
but isn't slowing down cars actually making them less fuel efficient?
Not everyone has a brand-new (or even late-model) car--I happen to be driving a 12-year-old Sebring.
Isn't driving through a city centre at snail's paces less efficient than actually putting your foot down on the highway?
Yes it is, but some people work in the city and live in the suburbs (or vice versa). Unfortunately, even the suburbs are getting crowded...
How about using mass transit more instead?
I would, if our local system was more reliable in our area.
Or even, and I know this one is foreign to a lot of people, how about walking the half-mile to the store?
What I wouldn't give to trade places with someone with healthy legs!!! I happen to have multiple sclerosis; the closest place to buy food is a very expensive convenience store a quarter-mile away. Try walking a half-mile when after that quarter, you begin to appear as though you're drunk...it's NOT pretty!
But again, my concern is for the young, inexperienced drivers that get out on these super speedways--are they going to kill someone because they don't realize that tailgating (no matter what speed) is a really stupid idea? 
How about using mass transit more instead?
I would, if our local system was more reliable in our area.
Or even, and I know this one is foreign to a lot of people, how about walking the half-mile to the store?
What I wouldn't give to trade places with someone with healthy legs!!! I happen to have multiple sclerosis; the closest place to buy food is a very expensive convenience store a quarter-mile away. Try walking a half-mile when after that quarter, you begin to appear as though you're drunk...it's NOT pretty!
But again, my concern is for the young, inexperienced drivers that get out on these super speedways--are they going to kill someone because they don't realize that tailgating (no matter what speed) is a really stupid idea? 1 person likes this
@Wolfechu (1193)
• United States
4 Jul 08
Our buses in St Louis aren't too bad. They're not a patch on the service in the UK, but they do actually turn up more or less when you expect them to.
And indeed, my sympathies for your ailment, I've known many people with MS, and it's not much fun. This doesn't excuse the healthy people who drive a mile to the gym to walk on a treadmill for an hour, though (And they do. We all know them.)
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
5 Jul 08
Read the articles on this Hypermiling phenomenon-Slower speeds are better for economy,and most cars are most efficient around the 55-60mph mark-Your economy goes way down with the faster highway speeds...It's the stop/Start driving around town and idling that cuts your economy..
1 person likes this
@Elixiress (3878)
•
5 Jul 08
I don't think that changing the national speed limit to a slow level will make that much difference, because while the car is using less fuel per minute, the car is on the road for a longer period of time, so it is not much of a saving. Also if a new driver is not confident enough to drive on a fast road then they should not drive on that road, the same with a driver of any age not just someone that is 17. I knew a woman that would never go on fast roads because she was not a confident driver and did not want to make those decisions. Other people can do the same, therefore I do not see it a valid reason to decrease the speed limit.
1 person likes this
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
5 Jul 08
Also if a new driver is not confident enough to drive on a fast road then they should not drive on that road, the same with a driver of any age not just someone that is 17.
Sometimes drivers have no choice but to go on faster highways. Also, if every highway were 70 mph, what happens to really congested areas? I live in Burlington County, NJ, where parts of I-295 are STILL on 55 MPH due to extreme congestion. When it changes to 65 MPH, I'm often unprepared to make that change rapidly. But I think the worst part of driving on these roads at high speeds is that NO ONE is really taught to drive defensively (sorry, but I DON'T have the money to go to school to learn so); there are so many BAD drivers out there, speeding or not, and unfortunately, the police don't find out until there's an accident.
@Elixiress (3878)
•
5 Jul 08
Yes if people are on those roads then they have to do the speed, but they do not have to go on the roads. They can take a different route to avoid the road or take public transport. You do realise that accidents will still happen with a slower national speed limit.
@twallace (2675)
• United States
5 Jul 08
The only thing that will really help with the gas prices is for them to lower the price of gas. But that doesn't look like it will happen. This morning on the news that were talking with a gentlemen that was talking about driving 55 will keep you from burning more gas. Which made since, the faster you drive the more gas you burn. But lets look at it the are not really going to lower the speed limit just for the purchase of a tank of gas. It would make since but they are not going to do that. They can suggest to drive slower for that reason but most people are not going to listen.
1 person likes this
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
6 Jul 08
The only thing that will really help with the gas prices is for them to lower the price of gas.
How do you propose they do that? Subsidize the price of a gallon of gas, like they do in India? It would never work--Bush already has us spending WAY more then is coming into the coffers.
To really get people to slow down, I think the speeding fines should at least triple...that would put a scare into people. And there should be no warnings--you speed, you get the ticket!
@meiyeec511 (405)
• Malaysia
5 Jul 08
I think that's a good idea, but do not set the limit to too low. it's very sleepy to drive car over slow under the sun.
But how to make the national speed limit legal over the world is not easy.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
6 Jul 08
But how to make the national speed limit legal over the world is not easy.
No, a national speed limit would be for a specific country; a global speed limit would probably not work, since there are so many different driving environments.
I think that production of new automobiles could stop and we'd still have enought for everyone to drive. New vehicles are so over priced these days anyway, and to get a hybrid, I think I heard that it takes 7 YEARS of driving 12,000 miles each year for it to begin to pay for itself! That's NOT economical!
That's NOT economical! @rpegan (596)
• United States
4 Jul 08
I think that more emphasis needs to be put on improving public transportation systems. Other places in the world are connected by rail, and I think that's a fabulous idea. I remember using the rail system for travel all over Europe when my family lived in Germany, and I think we need to start using such a system in the United States.
Also, big cities here have public transportation, but it's USUALLY very low quality. I know that in my city, the government has just invested a good deal of money into running more shifts and expanding the reach of the bus system.
1 person likes this
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
4 Jul 08
I agree with you...having a much improved public transporation system would be fantastic, especially in light of the excessively high gas prices!
I know that in my city, the government has just invested a good deal of money into running more shifts and expanding the reach of the bus system.
You definitely can't be in Philadelphia then--every time you turn around, SEPTA needs more money or is going on strike! And I don't like riding around their subway--ewww!
I know that in my city, the government has just invested a good deal of money into running more shifts and expanding the reach of the bus system.
You definitely can't be in Philadelphia then--every time you turn around, SEPTA needs more money or is going on strike! And I don't like riding around their subway--ewww! 1 person likes this
@Mainframeguy (200)
•
4 Jul 08
I had no idea - thought you still had to drive 55!
Live and learn - see how out of date I am.
Anything like this is just tinkering. What is needed is mnassive change on a level we have not seen in our lifetimes. We have to change our whole lives so we do not drive around or take transport for granted... think about before the war or earlier - something along those lines... People already probably do what you say anyway to save money, so why enshrine it in law? Achieves nothing really...
1 person likes this
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
6 Jul 08
Well, if we don't start working on our economy, there won't be a tomorrow! But we should be talking about conservation, not if we should drill another big hole in the ground!
