Don't You Even Think About Lowering the Speed Limit

It's already painful to pay close to $4.00/gallon for gas. And now Senator John Warner from Virginia wants to lower the national speed limit to 55 mph. That's hitting us where it really hurts. I'm not slowing down. If I find a clear spot on the road, I'm going to move along at a nice, fast, legal pace.

How about passing a law where senators can travel on MWF and members of the House can travel TTh? If we're going to start restricting how we travel, let's start at the top.

And I said travel, not drive, because I figure they're flying as much as driving. I remember the 55 speed limit, and that's only good in a school zone. (Just kidding.)

If I'm burning up that much money to gas up my car, I should get to burn up my fuel at the rate of speed  -- and mpgs -- that I choose so long as it's safe for the road and driving conditions. If I want to save money and gas, I can drive my SUV slower, or I can drive my hybrid just about any way I want.

Driving over 70 and running the air conditioning in my Prius, I can still get close to 50 mpgs. If I turn off the air conditioning, I can get in the low 50s. Why should I be forced to crawl like a snail to save gas when I'm already saving gas?

The car has a consumption screen that shows what kind of mpgs you're getting. Everyone who makes it through their first year of driving a Prius without an accident should get an award, because that screen is a major distraction. I drive like that screen is a video game and I'm not winning unless I'm staying above the 50 mpg. line (and manufacturing "turtles," which are these little leaf-shaped things that really look like turtles and signify how much energy you're regenerating). That screen has taught me how to drive to maximize my mileage.  It's also taught me that I'm only once glance away from getting killed, so I'd better pay attention to the road.

The market is responding to high gas prices. People are dumping their SUVs as fast as they can. Senator, you don't need to change the speed limit.

You need to start drilling Here and Now.

Comments

[Johnny]

I think this old man needs to just go on and retire for G-sake. This old man was born in 1927... why dont they start looking at the oil industry and not me. This is typical of the goverment to put the blame on us and not them. This is a bunch of crap theres no way im slowing down to 55.

[Transylvanianhorseman]

The high price alone is a pretty good way to reduce fuel usage (people being "rational" as the economists put it). I saw a figure that gasoline usage in California has dropped 6%. Perhaps it's dropped even more by now? Over here in Europe (where gas is $10 a gallon) most people seem to be driving less and slower. On our local main road, where the limit is 70mph, people rarely drive faster than 50mph. Admittedly most journeys here are shorter. One never hears a suggestion of a lower national speed limit in Europe, however small economical cars have become very popular (and so have trains and buses).

[lifepundit]

thanks for your comments. ligthning knocked out phone, internet & cable tv so only way to even see if friends have been by is with cell phone. ah me. typing with thumbs is no good.