Sen. John Warner, R-Va. Suggests National Speed Limit

[Bluerauder]

What do you think about this?

The National Speed Limit debate is about to be reopened in Congress. I don't like it at all; but there are several reasons why I think it stands a good chance of going through. Right now, Sen Warner just wants to "study" the issue ....

1. It will show the Congress is willing to "do something".
2. It has been done before so the idea isn't new.
3. It will save some gas consumption.
4. They will be convinced that accidents will be reduced and lives will be saved.
5. Warner is not running for reelection.

Here is what I think ....

a. The price of gas WILL NOT go down.
b. Your travel time on trips will increase by 25-35%.
c. That 12 hour trip to St Louis will take about 16 hours instead of 12 hours.
d. Traffic congestion on busy Interstates will double.
e. Accidents will increase in congested areas.
f. Truckers will suffer loss of income since many are paid "by the mile". It actually encourages them to rack up more hours per day.
g. The oil that we save will be bought and used by someone else.
h. The proposed change will have a damping effect on the sales of fuel efficient vehicles.
i. 75% of the country's drivers that are "scared to death" over 55 MPH will love this idea. It'll justify more left lane blockers and give them false security.

Time to get your thoughts together so you can let your representatives in Congress know what you think about this.



July 3, 2008

Influential Republican senator, John Warner of Virginia, suggested on Thursday that Congress consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline.

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

In 1974, Congress 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was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and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.

As motorists headed on trips for this Fourth of July weekend, gasoline averaged $4.10 a gallon nationwide with oil hovering around $145 a barrel.

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.

Warner asked the department to determine at what speeds vehicles would be most fuel efficient, how much fuel savings would be achieved, and whether it would be reasonable to assume there would be a reduction in prices at the pump if the speed limit were lowered.

[Mike Poore]

Ask Gov. John Corzine; D, New Jersey about how speed limits save lives. Oh yeah, while you're at it, ask about seat belts, as well. :shake:

BTW, anything showing that congerss is willing to do something, just to let us know they care, always gives me indegestion.

[finster101]

Anyone who thinks fuel prices will ever go down may be interested in some ocean front property in Arizona that I have for sale! :D

[OneBADLsE]

its called fund raising. Fines in these "national speed limit zones" will more than likely be another mortgage payment. Just a better way of hitting us where it hurts.

The Govt does NOT care how much we conserve, lets face it. LEOS in my area arent writing anywhere near the amount of speeders they should be. In recent months, if you're going 65 on local highways, more than likely you're flying by everyone at light speed! The average on parkways and highways range around 50 mph. Highway patrol actually looks bored with a laser radar gun pointed at traffic.

I know. I cant believe it myself!

[Joe Walsh]

HOORAY!!!!

Tons of REVENUE from traffic citations!!!!.....:mad:

Loads of Toyota Prius' squatting in the left hand lane at 54.5 mph....:mad2:

We have no one to blame but ourselves.....we keep electing and re-electing these morons!

[Bigdogjim]

Being someone who is driving 3-5 hundred miles a day in the Northeast I can tell you already the traffic has slowed down by few MPH. The Western States did not go for this in the 80's and will follow suit again.Traffic tickets are down and I see more and more Police on the major interstates. Last trip up the New Yord State ThroughWay I saw maybe 7-8 in 200 miles:rolleyes:

And Charlie No.Va is so choked they need parking enforcement along the interstates :rofl:

He!! they now are adding $12. bonus to the ticket for their own fuel:argue:

[Ms. Denmark]

I can't drive 55.;)

[Mike Poore]

We have no one to blame but ourselves.....we keep electing and re-electing these morons!

Remember what I said about wanting, no, demanding term limits? I was not joking. Throw the rascals out, every last one of 'em.

You can start with the Sr. Senator From my state.

Can you believe that numskull actually considered running for the presidency? :eek:

[rayjay]

I already told the wife we are probably staying in state next year for vacation. Haven't been up to the mountains in a while :rolleyes:, oh wait a minute, I sort of live in them...

[Eric-Blk2004]

I think that coupled with a lower speed limit and increased MPG congress will assist in the conversation of fuel.

On paper.

Speed limits are never enforced, and the MPG limit is an average so the car companies will make one 45mpg car and continue to make the 30MPG since the average will meet the standard.

I do like the idea of putting a high price tag on speeding tickets - they are wasting more fuel. But paying for to pay for the LEO's gas...dont we do that already through municipal taxes? Double dip that chip!

[Aren Jay]

Given that I don't speed, I don't mind.

Put a 65 MPH speed limit or pick a number. Put lidar/radar ticket cameras up every 5 miles, keep the cameras as cameras as well so you can see the road conditions ever 5 miles, on a web page, and use the revenue from the speeders to fund the camera placement and upkeep. Give a ticket to each person caught exceeding the limit plus a 1% cumulative cost increase in gas purchases. Those caught drunk driving, drug induced etc... get triple fines and gas price increases and on a 3rd offense lose their license, and those without licenses have the vehicle they are driving in auctioned off, funds going to the upkeep of the camera system. If it isn't their vehicle then charge the driver with theft of said vehicle, or the owner loses the vehicle.

[Pat]

The thing that I remember most from the last congressional imposed speed limit was that the 18 wheelers couldn't shift into higher gear and thus used more fuel.

Bring it down from 70 to 65 if one must, but no lower. Definitely not 55 MPH.

Regards,

[Aren Jay]

Switch to metric, then post it at 110. Which is 68.322...MPH.

Then you don't need to lower the limit and everyone will marvel at the idea of doing over 100 on the roads.

[shodude]

Given that I don't speed, I don't mind.

Put a 65 MPH speed limit or pick a number. Put lidar/radar ticket cameras up every 5 miles, keep the cameras as cameras as well so you can see the road conditions ever 5 miles, on a web page, and use the revenue from the speeders to fund the camera placement and upkeep. Give a ticket to each person caught exceeding the limit plus a 1% cumulative cost increase in gas purchases. Those caught drunk driving, drug induced etc... get triple fines and gas price increases and on a 3rd offense lose their license, and those without licenses have the vehicle they are driving in auctioned off, funds going to the upkeep of the camera system. If it isn't their vehicle then charge the driver with theft of said vehicle, or the owner loses the vehicle.

please tell me this is not serious.. as i for one do not want a "Ministry of Love (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four)" on the highway.

[sailsmen]

I got my license in 1974. First time on the Interstate I went 55 for 20 minutes so many cars were passing me it was dangerous.

My father, said son you can speed up or get us both killed.

[Crazieboutamerc]

One problem is that speed limits in big cities are just a suggestion. I go to Denver and the traffic rolls along at about 70-80 in a 55mph. yet the car companies are making cars capable of over 100 mph.

Tim

[Mike Poore]

....... yet the car companies are making cars capable of over 100 mph.

Tim

And that's just the Prius, Tim. I need all my fingers and toes th count the ones that go over 150. :rolleyes:

[Ms. Denmark]

Most of our super highways were built for higher speeds and most of our cars were as well. It makes no sense in 2008 to expect people to drive any slower on those roads.( Time is money, too. )I certainly don't want to turn into places like England that have cameras recording every thing that people do. The answer isn't so simplistic that passing speed limit laws will fix it. Probably the high cost of gas , if it continues, will do more to focus attention on the many things that need to change, than anything. Necessity is the mother of invention. We're Americans and we'll figure it out!:)

[Pat]

At the car show yesterday I was looking over a "Crossfire" SRT6, supercharged, when the mature lady sitting next to the car with other retiree's said to me "look at the speedometer". I did, the upper limit was 200 MPH. OMG, these older folks shouldn't have that kind of car, Brahahahaha.

[Vortex]

I used to think Sen Warner was just a dumbass (he married Liz Taylor once) but over the years he kinda got better. Now that he is retiring I think he may have backslid into dumbassness again. 55mph may be fine and dandy for Virginia or the rest of the east coast but crossing Texas at 55 mph is a two day job. No thanks.

[Bluerauder]

55mph may be fine and dandy for Virginia or the rest of the east coast but crossing Texas at 55 mph is a two day job. No thanks.
Hush your mouth. ;) 55 MPH is no good in Virginia either. At that speed it feels like I am on the brakes. :D

[justbob]

I think we should just pool our money and buy Marauder island. Any takers?

[SHERIFF]

g. The oil that we save will be bought and used by someone else.



Correct.

Right now, China's consumption is going off the charts. The more we save, the more they can purchase. They have 1,000 new cars hitting the pavemennt every day. :eek:

[Bluerauder]

[/b]


Correct.

Right now, China's consumption is going off the charts.
Yeah, but they use leaded gas right? :rofl: They put lead in everything else. ;)

[Bigdogjim]

I got my license in 1974. First time on the Interstate I went 55 for 20 minutes so many cars were passing me it was dangerous.

My father, said son you can speed up or get us both killed.

That was then this is now.

[GAMike]

Before any more of the tax payers $$ is spent on "research" about this idiotic idea of a national speed limit, let Senator Warner be a guinea pig........ If his constituents have an average commute of say 23 miles each way by car....... Insist that he commute the same distance for 6 months, so that he understands in real terms what he is suggesting.

These dopes really need to stop drinking the beltway Kool-Aid and understand the impact of their legislation. Issue pandering vs. real work going on in Washington is at an all time high unfortunately.

[Marauderjack]

I lived through the last 55 MPH boondoggle and as Sammy Hagar sang....."I can't drive 55!!" especially on the Interstates!!!:mad2:

I did an experiment week before last.......I have a 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.7 "Hemi" and it has an on board mileage computer that shows average MPG!! BTW, this thing has the aerodynamics of a BRICK and wind load has to be really bad at higher speeds!!:cool:

I had a 200 miles Interstate trip and ran 60+ mile legs at constant speed on cruise.....

1. 62 miles @ 70 MPH = 20.1 MPG

2. 65 miles @ 60-65 MPH = 22.3 MPG

3. 61 miles @ 78-80 MPH = 17.7 MPG

* Not bad for a 5,000# BRICK......I had a 1970 VW that didn't do this good!!

Quite a spread but if I run 65 MPH it only takes me about 30 minutes longer to go 200 miles but I save 2.3 gallons or almost $10.00!!:beer:

BTW, I have noticed a lot of folks driving slower to conserve fuel lately!!:D

I wish I had an on board mileage computer on the Marauder to see how much difference it makes at reduced speed!!:shake:

55 MPH is too mundane and NOBODY will observe it!!!:eek:

My $.02....FWIW??

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Everyone out here in NoVa is still driving as fast as traffic will allow. My commute from Southern MD has most people driving 70-75 in a 50 mph zone on 210. I can't tell anyone is trying to save gas by the way V8 pickups floor it at lights to pass me. People are sure as hell not driving any slower out here because of $4 gas. I bought a 4 banger that gets 25 mpg city, almost 30 highway, with me still driving the same speeds I always did. So I can still go 80 and get better gas mileage. Ta-da

[baltimoremm]

i wonder what it would cost taxpayers just to change all of the speed limit signs

[ctrlraven]

People waste more gas by sitting in stop and go traffic more than anything else. Widen current roads, add more lanes to the highways. I've only been driving for 10 years but stayed within the same area and it's crazy to see only certain areas become parking lots when I remember them as never seeing any major traffic.

Here in MD Route 32 from Clarksville to West Friendship (for now) is FINALLY going to be widening the road to go from 2 lanes to 4 lanes. With so many more people on the road these days everything bottlenecks up very quickly. 95% of the roads I drive on are way out dated to handle the current and new traffic that will be passing by.

I just recently moved so my work commute went from 15 miles/25 mins to 32 miles/35 mins. I'd rather leave earlier to get to work and stay past rush hour just so I don't have to deal with traffic. As long as I am moving I am getting decent gas mileage. Sadly I will be buying a gas mileage beater car, not cause it cost $70-75 to fill up the MM but I just want to keep the miles now that I will be doing 60-100 miles round trip instead of half of that before I moved and I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance cause I moved out into the country lol.

They just need to develop teleporters and be done with it then price of gas will drop as the oil companies will be begging people to buy fuel and drive lol. Oh and we will be helping out the ozone also. (had to throw the green idea out there lol)

[Bigdogjim]

Any one who has ever sat in traffic will notice 90% of the cars have 1 person in them..DUH! We really need to work on mass transit not widen roads.

Wait untill you encounter a driver that is "hyper mileage driving":argue::mad2::mad2::mad2:

Then the fun begins:censor::censor::censor: