Why is no discussion of instituting the 55mph speed limit nationwide Until more efficient cars are built?

Question

Why is no discussion of instituting the 55mph speed limit nationwide Until more efficient cars are built?

Answer 1

I'm for 60mph. 55 was to slow. However you know people will still break the laws.Even Church goers will run you over going to eat out after church.

Answer 2

Short answer.. Our government tried it already and the public did not like it!   We did that in the 70s and got away from the 55 mph speed limit primarily because public opinion was dead set against the speed limit..

Answer 3

Who put you in charge of how I drive?  If you want to drive 55, please feel free to do so.  Please keep you nose out of my business, however.

Nickel, you are obviously a complete idiot.

Wordsmyth, your math is bogus.  While it is true that any vehicle will get less miles per gallon at 70 mph than at 60 mph, it is no where near 10 gallons more for a 60 mile trip.  In fact it is probably less than gallon.  Most cars will go about 200 miles at highway speeds on 10 gallons.

Answer 4

Because none of us want to drive 55.  With the speed limits at 65 or 70, most people are doing 70, 75, 80 or even 90+ miles per hour.  Put it back to 55 and they won't slow down, it'll just be larger tickets you can give out.  And good luck being elected if you vote for that 55mph bill.

Why stop at 55 though, 40 to 50 mph is the most optimum speed for most cars.  Slower than this mechanical drag starts to increase the overall drag and faster than this aerodynamic factors increase the overall drag.  So let's make the maximum 45mph.

We could start publishing drag coefficients for cars and make the mileage standards test actually drive the cars around a track instead of simulating drag on a dynameter.

Answer 5

Road congestion.  If everyone drives slower then everyone is on the road longer.  This has the effect of increasing the total number of cars on the road at any given time.

Answer 6

Because 55mph is way too slow!

Answer 7

Nobody buys cars to drive 55 mph,Even big rig trucks can do at least 70 all day long.I would feel sorry for U.P.S and Fed EX if they had to go that slow making deliveries and then putting up with all the complaints.And i don't wanna hear no BS about the trucks doing 70 either 97% of there accidents are caused by cars.

Answer 8

Good idea.  Lot's of resistance obviously.  Net benefit would probably just be more speeding tickets.  Even if governors were put on cars to lower top speed (most now I think are governed by redline limiters and gearing) people would take them off.  

I think you'll see a lot more city cars & highway cars before you see a lowered speed limit.

Answer 9

because it would take me aproximetly 1 hour longer to commute everyday from home to school.... and nobody wants me to have to do that

Answer 10

It's true that most cars get optimal mileage at 55 to 60 mph, many US highways are designed for higher speeds, so 55 feels sometimes unnaturally slow, especially on banked turns.

Add to this the fact that most cars handle quite well at higher speeds and it becomes nearly impossible from keeping drivers down to 55.

Of course the advantages of driving fast are outweighed by the disadvantages. A 60-mile trip takes one hour at 60mph (obviously). Driving 70mph only saves 8.5 minutes, but may use 10 gallons more gas and increase the chance - and severity - of an accident greatly.

I sympathize with your point, but I think the answer is better mileage standards. And the two oilmen in the White House ain't gonna go for that.

Answer 11

ITS NOT LOGICAL

Not all cars have the same air drag. A pick-up will be much more affected by air drag than  other vehicles. Why punish people then who bought aerodynamic econo cars ?

Why not differenciate between car categories now ?

If you want to get fast you should not be allowed to drag a "parachute" (back of a pick-up). That simply doesn´t make sense.

Furthermore, differenciating would give an incentive to switch to more econo cars. In Europe, we don´t have pick-ups, but still the construction work is done at least as well for the people who need to do some. Questions ?