Where’s Sammy Hagar when we need him?
I’m 100% sure the 55 MPH speed limit will be imposed on us again. The only way to stop it is to hang the first couple of politicians who mention it.
1) A lower speed limit means a lower death and injury rate. Presumably, your life has some value.
2) There ARE other forms of transportation. You have heard of trains, planes, buses and the like, right?
3) We are at war, and money for oil in foreign hands is one of the weapons against us in that war. If we the people decide that you must sacrifice your precious time, or stop using your vehicle so much, well that's democracy for you.
Other than that, nice post
Congressman Billybob
First in the series, "American Government: The Owner's Manual"
Can some auto expert figure out the cost of running the engine without the cost of the gas and factor that into the equation? In other words, if it takes an hour longer to get to ones destination, just running the vehicle that extra hour has what cost?
Every minute we spend on the road is one less minute we get to spend enjoying our lives.
Even though I’m a private pilot who can fly above it, let me just go on record as saying that I’ll contribute money **AGAINST** any candidate of any party who advocates going back to a national speed limit of any number.
Let the states set it, or else lose my thousands per year in contributions, as well as have my thousands go to your opponent...and I’m a fund raiser for President Bush.
Democrat. Republican.
I don’t care.
I’ll go to the mat to prevent another national speed limit.
Been there, done that.
Actually, I've put the cruise control on 60 mph. Let me tell you what difference it has made.
Zip. Zilch. None. Nada.
My combined city/highway mpg is 18 mpg. No matter if I drive 60 or 70-75 mph, it's all the same difference.
Why? because today's fuel efficient vehicles are engineered to maximize better mpg's at average highway speeds.
I understand all of that, but their still going to do it because they know what is best for us. If they would just do what we pay them to do we would not be paying these prices.
Being the cynical, grumpy individual that I am, I only have one thing to say. There’s a lot of revenue in them thar speeding tickets!
it’s really an east coast war vs the west.
we westerners drive long distances.
and, please compare euro gas prices; they tax more.
Wasn't there a video or documentary on this. They got three cars and started going 55 along side each other on the interstate. Then they had someone video from an overpass. They showed a film were there was absolutely no traffic in sight, then over the horizon you see a huge pack of cars coming, all in a huge traffic jam behind these three cars going the speed limit.
If you’re also running an A/C for those extra minutes — the “savings” would be even less.
I about fell out of my chair when Charles Krauthammer said he supported a 55 mph speed limit.
I guess no one is perfect.
More space is required between vehicles at higher speeds. Therefore, free-flow speed (uf) is a different parameter from optimal speed (uo). Setting a speed limit without consideration of the latter parameter is ignoring road capacity, and the overall efficiency issue. If you've ever been delayed by traffic, you'll realize that not all trips go at the speed limit.
I think that many people have difficulty picturing this....most would likely say that a higher speed limit would allow more traffic to get through a stretch of road in a given amount of time, but it's not true. Perhaps one way to illustrate it is using an extreme--imagine if cars were going 550 mph. You'd see few cars on the road with such distances required between each. If you were one of the lucky ones, on the road, your trip would be short...but most people would be sitting in traffic.
So overall, those on the highway would be costing others a lot, by the points you have made. The key might be a variable limit (e.g., West Texas).
I'm not advocating a "needs of the many" approach, but simply stating facts based on calculus. Disclaimer: Though I did get a very little formal training in traffic engineering LONG ago, that's not the basis for this post, and I am not a traffic engineer!)
If that were true, you'd be driving 90 miles per hours!
Only the little people will have to go 55 miles an hour. The more deserving folks will fly over our heads in private jets.
You’re right, Duke, we do have the power. If we don’t want the federal government to control more and more of our lives, draw the line. Contact your representatives. This should be left to the states, and if the Constitution still mattered, it wouldn’t be an issue.
If it really is about saving lives, why not make it 45? It’s not about saving lives, it is all about control. The objective of the left is to control as much of your lives as possible. And if that is their objective, they have become an enemy of freedom.
They should ground all air travel immediately to save fuel. /sarcasm on.
Anyone driving 55 on the highway here would be rear ended in about one minute. Average speed is about 75.