Show of hands, return the 55mph US-wide speed limit?

[jpleong]

So, I'm curious... my image of the tree-hugging, soft spoken, wanna-be hippie image of a hybrid owner has been all but smashed with my interactions with Insight owners on this forum (you know who you are!).

With the "fact" that 55mph is a more fuel-efficient "legal" speed ('cause we all speed at some point) and long term studies are showing the increase in accidents and fatalities since the repeal of the last US-wide speed limit, do you think it is time to re-instate the nationwide 55mph speed limit in the US?

JP

whoops! Apparently, there is a limit on the descriptions... here they are:

A. Yes! If 55mph was good enough for the 80's and early 90's it's good enough for me. Hey, they brought back Transformers and G.I.JOE, didn't they?

B. No! I like to choose my own speed, how much fuel I use, and how much I pollute. All about choice, man...!

C. No! 55mph is too fast! Make it 45mph... I need to get that third trophy so I can rescue the leaf princess!

D. No! Just increase the CAFE fuel standards even more and force automakers to encase every new car in bubble-wrap!

[Elucidus]

The proclivity of cell phones has increased a "bit" since the speed limits were raised. I don't think the increase in accident rate can be directly attributed to an increase in the speed limit. Cars are significantly better built than they were 20 years ago, as well.

In the Insight, I'm happy doing 65-75. In my Corvette, there've been days that I felt if it weren't for traffic and the laws, I'd much rather be cruising along "a bit quicker" than that.

[MN Driver]

When driving from the Minneapolis metro area in Minnesota to San Francisco, it was 2,000 miles and it took over 30 hours to drive there. I was satisfied enough to get the 40-44mpg that I got going the 70-75 mph that a majority of those freeways have as their speed limit. I wouldn't have enjoyed going any slower as the cross country trip would have taken significantly longer. I did this driving a 95 Prizm with a 1.8 liter engine cranking over 3,000 rpm in top gear(5 speed stick) the whole way with a car EPA rated as 34mpg highway. I don't seem to lose the MPG in the same manner as many cars do because I drive a 15 mile commute to work and limit my speed to 55 mph and still can't manage to get above the 43mpg mark. Even with a warm-up period, the 3 stop signs, the 2 stop lights that I usually wait about 30 seconds for, I think I drive a car that manages decent aerodynamics and I would prefer to go faster.

When I end up getting an Insight soon, I think that with it's increased gas mileage I will still travel long road trips at the same speeds and think about how I used to drive an 02 Grand Am that got 25 mpg on a 60mph highway on my previous 25 mile trek to college each way.

If I'm taking a long trip I'll pay the relatively small price for a little extra speed to spend more time on my vacation when I get there.

...I do realize that in the end we have 16mpg lumbering SUVs driving down the road burning way more fuel and have worse gas mileage loss with higher speeds but even with a lower speed limit, I doubt it will really slow things down too much. When I travel the interstate at the speed limit, I find myself passing more people than the amount of people who pass me.

[CobaltDragon]

I wanted to choose B & D, but obviously that isn't allowed

[bluetwo]

I'm going to have to go with absolutely not!

But I say slap people HARD with a fine if they can't get the concept of SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT. We have hundreds of thousands of signs saying this anywhere there's more than one lane and yet there are still idiots out there who don't go fast enough in the fast lane. If anyone is behind you and trying to pass you while you're in the fast lane GTFO of the way. They have fines for this in Europe and we need to seriously adopt them too.

[wstander]

I for one doubt all of these studies that claim increased loss of life at the higher speeds...the lack of skil and inattention (probalbly caused by the former reduced speeds, etc.)

Post an appropriate limit, and (heaven forbid) ENFORCE it!!

I once was cited for 70 in a 65 with no others on the road but the cop and I....

So, it is about time all of these vanpoolers speeding at 80+ in a 65 got cited as well...


Yeah, like THAT will happen

Oh, and we have mandatory incarceration for tailgating?? I prefer summary executon at the scene, but that my be too traumatic and messy...

[bish79]

Originally Posted by wstander

Oh, and we have mandatory incarceration for tailgating?? I prefer summary executon at the scene, but that my be too traumatic and messy...

But officer, I wasn't tailgating, I was DRAFTING!!!

[wstander]

Originally Posted by bish79

But officer, I wasn't tailgating, I was DRAFTING!!!

Like the rolling stop guys....

I have seen at least 2 cars run stoplights from several feet back..one almost 100 feet; I had to slqm the brakes once..

Joke:

Officer cites a rolling stop guy
Guy says, eh, no big deal, I did slow down, what is the difference??
Officer starts to beat the car with his riot club and asks Do you want me to stop or merely slw down??

[satchel]

I had to pick B. My best mileage trip of 99.8mpg over 225 miles was accomplished driving 47-52mph but I don't know that I'll do that too often. Driving half way across Kansas at 50mph, let me see...how shall I put this...
On vacation at up to 102mph we made it from one corner of Montana to the other in a day(with a couple hour stop at Custer Battlefield). I could understand their once upon a time lacking limits.
Driving my normal routes up to 400 miles of glacial terrain I don't want to be nailed with a ticket for building up some momentum to get up and over the next hill, especially when I may be going ten or fifteen under the limit at the top of that hill while hypermiling! I can only drive like that on a near empty road for fear some jacked up pickup will come up behind me and use me for an RTI ramp.
Kansas has finally passed a keep right law. Trouble with more rules though is that people take less and less responsibility the more you try to legislate behavior.