Unmentioned Energy Fix: A 55 M.P.H. Speed Limit

The New York Times ^ | May 1, 2005 | Jad Mouawad and Simon Romero

[DugwayDuke]

What the Times fails to note is that when the decision to lower the speed limit to 55 MPH was made (BTW, it was made in an elevator) the other option under consideration was to ensure drivers had the correct air pressure in their tires. Both options were considered to have essentially the same effect on reducing dependance on oil. The decrease in the speed limit was chosen because it was easier to enforce.

[blu]

No thank you. I'll pay up to $3 per gallon to continue driving like I want to get somewhere.

And that, my friends, is what makes America great! We can do anything, as long as we can pay for it! (nope, I'm not being sarcastic.)

[Paladin2]

http://www.teknett.com/pwp/drmayf/cobra.htm:

Total Load (pounds) = fr * W + ½ * rho * V * V * Cd * A + W * sin(theta)

But: fr = fo + 3.24 * fs *( v / 100)^ 2.5

So rolling force is a significent function of speed (especially in the speeds of interest - 55mph -90mph) When I look at the approximate forces at speeds close to 90 it is proportional which is what one finds when collecting the coast down times and regressing the resultant hp vs. speed data.

Speed (mph)	Rolling Drag (lbs)	Aero Drag (lbs)	Total Drag (lbs)	RWHP	FWHP
10.0	18.0	2.0	19.9	0.53	0.61
20.0	18.1	8.0	26.1	1.39	1.60
30.0	18.6	17.9	36.5	2.92	3.36
40.0	19.2	31.8	51.1	5.45	6.27
50.0	20.2	49.7	70.0	9.33	10.73
60.0	21.6	71.6	93.2	14.91	17.15
70.0	23.3	97.5	120.8	22.55	25.93
80.0	25.4	127.4	152.8	32.59	37.48
90.0	28.0	161.2	189.1	45.40	52.21
100.0	31.0	199.0	230.0	61.34	70.54
110.0	34.5	240.8	275.3	80.77	92.88
120.0	38.5	286.6	325.1	104.05	119.66
130.0	43.1	336.3	379.4	131.55	151.28
140.0	48.2	390.0	438.2	163.65	188.20
150.0	53.9	447.7	501.7	200.71	230.81
160.0	60.2	509.4	569.6	243.10	279.57
170.0	67.1	575.1	642.2	291.21	334.90
180.0	74.7	644.8	719.4	345.41	397.22
190.0	82.9	718.4	801.3	406.08	466.99
200.0	91.8	796.0	887.8	473.60	544.64
210.0	101.4	877.6	979.0	548.35	630.60
220.0	111.7	963.2	1074.8	630.71	725.32
230.0	122.7	1052.7	1175.4	721.08	829.24
240.0	134.5	1146.2	1280.7	819.83	942.81
250.0	147.0	1243.7	1390.7	927.36	1066.47

I'll have to go back and rerun my data from my VW bug push starting days, but it sure seemed easier and at a faster speed when three people were pushing rather than just me.

[FreedomPoster]

>>I think 55 mph would be "feel good" solution.

You've got that right. The essence of good transportation is speed. Let people make their own economic choices on that one.

Speed limits are too low in many areas as it is.

The last thing this country needs is another B.S. law that makes people disrespect the law, and law enforcement, in general. Heck, current speed enforcement (primarily for revenue, not safety, in many cases) already does that pretty well, why make it worse?

[PhilDragoo]

55 in third burns more than 80 in overdrive--NYT should stick to thirty consecutive abu Ghraib headlines.

The New York Times still hasn't returned Walter Duranty's Pulitzer Prize for denying Stalin's famine-murder of tens of millions.

The New York Times bleats about global warming but won't stop cutting the rain forest down for its pulp.

Hey, New York Times, STFU.

[MeekOneGOP]

[ChildOfThe60s]

Totally bogus premise.

Based on (deeply flawed) computer models that:

A: are designed to get these results

B: depend on so many (not possible) variables to even work in theory; impossible in practice

c: keep retreading the same old crapola (government control over market conditions), i.e. another leftist "5 year plan"

[ChildOfThe60s]

What a grand idea, let's increase taxes so people will 'want' to change their behavior

Bingo! You, sir, have summed up the essence of liberalism in one sentence.

[swilhelm73]

Just another leftist with an obsessive need to control others.

Removing the 55 mph speed limit, which had *nothing* to do with safety concerns, was one of the great successes of the new Republican congresses.

Let's be honest, for the most part American highway speed limits are far too low to this day, both because this provides revenue for police departments and it appeases leftist power trippers.

[devolve]

  

[traumer]

Why aren't there any japanese diesel cars ?
Can (do) they make them ?

[swilhelm73]

The deceased use no oil or gas. Maybe these guys should sacrafice for the rest of us and off themselves.

Actually I've repeatedly suggested to enviro-nuts who demand government restrict other people's rights that if instead they lived by their beliefs and completely avoided fossil fuels and their byproducts we would easily meet the reductions in use they demand.

So far not one has had the guts to answer the charge.

But then again, the left's demands for power over others only has a marginal connection to what the supposed reason for this abuse of rights is invariably.

[guitfiddlist]

"We are in a boxing match, and the president keeps one hand tied to his back," said Steven Nadel, the executive director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research group in Washington.

Well, now these liberals know what we Republicans feel like, when our President coddles the Left.

[the invisib1e hand]

note to the moron: been there, done that.

next they'll be trying to ban convertibles again. why do liberals hate FUN?

[Tribune7]

But if history is any guide, there is one thing he could do immediately: bring back the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit.

A better, gentler way of saving energy would be for the NYT to stop publishing. That way evil machines wouldn't have to be used to turn wood pulp to paper.

[Sloth]

I'll agree to 55 mph after all gas taxes are repealed.

[RightOnline]

....and GOOD for you!!!! :)

[swilhelm73]

Ever try to drive out west (West Texas, Utah, Nevada, etc) at 55 miles an hour???

One of the things I most enjoyed driving cross country was barreling along at 80 mph in Utah/Montana while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

[longtermmemmory]

55 was a TOTAL FAILURE, anything advocated by Jimmy Carter is Useless.

This is more NYT drivel.

How about we start a pool for the last day the NYT is published? It has no future.

[billbears]

Help me out here guys. Who was it back during the Reagan years that refused to lift the 55 mph speed limit? I think those that are calling the NYT liberal for this stance should think about a certain statist Republican currently occupying a Senatorial seat that would fully agree with the NYT on this. For the children don't you know....