A senator wants to lower the speed limit to 55 mph to save fuel..?

Question

How stupid can he be? One, no one will go by it. Two, only one that will benifit is the police, writing tickets. Three, We truck drivers are barely making it as it is with the new HOS rules, Maybe it is time we DO strike, for all the Government BS rules that they have NO clue over and get THEIR attention. NO TRUCKS will mean NO GAS for their Limo's and SUV's!

Answer 1

My speed has been modified and I can say that I actually saved gas since December 07.

On the other hand what does speed limit have to do with planning.

As a former truck driver, my planning earned me an extra 2 hrs of sleep and saved around $30 a trip interstate and around $150 intrastate..

notice key word - Planning

can work for daily drivers as well

Answer 2

One of the posters asked where Glenda got her facts from and denied the reality of real savings of gas consumption in 55 mph driving.

It's common knowledge.

It's easily Googled.

It's factual, incontrovertible.

"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.

"Given the significant increase in the number of vehicles on America's highway system from 1974 to 2008, one could assume that the amount of fuel that could be conserved today is far greater," Warner wrote Bodman.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,3763...

Now let's see.... if the whole country had been driving 55 for the past thirty years at 2% savings a year, that's about 60% LESS GAS CONSUMPTION.

(so in fact the stupid guy was correct in saying Glenda's figures were "wrong" - Glenda said about 40% when in fact it was actually 60% savings!!)

Too funny.

Answer 3

where did glenda get her facts from, that is lies, the same lies they used in the 70's to lower the speed limit.  why do we never learn?

Answer 4

As a truck driver, you should understand that if you go slower it will save gas and cost you less to run your vehicle...therefore you will earn more money.

Slow down...it will be better, and safer, for all of us.

Answer 5

It's a fantastic idea. It's a common sense idea. It's an idea which we should have been observing for the past 30 years, and we wouldn't be in the predicament we are in now, because we would've used about 40% less fuel.

Not to mention the most obvious and beneficial outcome of this law - which would be the tremendous amount of lives saved.

Car accidents which occur at 55 mph or LESS incur substantially fewer fatalities, and substantially less critical injuries to passengers.

It's about time we observed some common-sense, logical behavior adjustments in this country.

Answer 6

Independent commercial truckers are getting screwed over a lot of ways.  It would be fair to grant them exemption.

Other than that, it would save huge amounts of gas. Not to mention lives and repair bills.  Yeah and let the cops make a buck too.

Answer 7

It is a good idea.  When the speed of a vehicle increases, the air pressure on the car increases, so you end up using a lot more fuel to move it forward.

Wouldn't you like you save money on fuel?  I heard truckers are very angry about these price increases.

Answer 8

I have no problem with it but I can see how you do.

Answer 9

They tried it in the 70's during the fuel shortages, it didn't work then.  I consider myself a moderate driver and my husband is even more so.  It's a daily occurence to just about get run off the road and tail gated to the point of almost having someones bumper up our tail pipe.  People are too impatient and too intolerant to drive moderately these days.  Especially in the NE.

Answer 10

The 55 MPH speed limit does save fuel. In the 70's, when we had the fuel crisis, it was determined that the savings realized from reducing the speed limit to 55 amounted to 169,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2% of our daily consumption.

This is the 70's were talking here. The savings we would now realize is much greater.

With the vehicles on the road at the time, 55mph was the speed at which most vehicles achieved the greatest fuel efficiency (not to mention it saves lives). This may not be the same now since a lot of vehicles have undergone significant redesign.

A REPUBLICAN, John Warner, is the one pushing this, by the way. He is also asking for a study to see at what speed gives the greatest fuel efficiency now.

Answer 11

Yeah, in the last Double Nickel days, I remember one Smoky turning on his disco lights and then he couldn't squeeze into the traffic. Big caravan rolling by like it was one vehicle. I mean Smoky was doing as fast as we were, over in the ditch, but he couldn't get over onto the asphalt. He gave up.

"Hey, good buddy. How's it look over your shoulder."

Answer 12

We did it before (successfully) and we can do it agian.

Answer 13

Your problem is that YOU don't like this measure.

And you seem to be a person who doesn't like to obey the law.

And go ahead, go on strike.

Cut your nose off to spite your face.

Answer 14

I love that move.. they estimate it will save 1% of the daily use of gas...

my questions is why make a law to protect the common good for that little gain.. and if that is OK.. what is next?!?!

tire pressure can cost/save you 10% in gas consumption.. should cops write under/over inflated tickets?!?!

a miner tuneup is anouther 8 % or so... govt required tune ups?!?!?

i could go on and on.. but the bottom line is.. no the FEDERAL government shouldn't be setting speed limits.

Answer 15

yea,really.....but as seen many people don't realize theres a word for truckers that slow down to save gas....it's called.... unemployed!....shipments have to be there as quick as possible,or else!....the thing that's been the most amazing to me in all of this so far, is why the Teamsters haven't declared WW3 on gov't in some way already?!?!?!? Perhaps I'm just not patient enough!

Answer 16

How about drilling more holes for oil on U.S. soil?  Then we wouldn't have to pay as much for foreign oil.