Why isn't there a speed limit reduction,if the government is so concerned about oil prices? something smells.

Question

I beleive theres alot more going on then the goverments letting out to the oil and gas since this has been a problem for 30 years or more and they kept raising the speedlimits.and alternet fuels have been available if they wanted to produce them. enthenol has been around in the midwest at every gas station in wisc by law if the auto mamufactures would have built cars to use it back then it would have saved alot of gas and the enviorrment

Answer 1

Here's the deal.  Government is controlled by business and industry, which is controlled by commerce, which is controlled by shareholders, which are you and me.

Answer 2

the problem is the u.s.government ! they have been protecting the oil companies because they get alot of lobbyists that donate or give them money. also president bush and cheney own and have investments in oil wells so it would not be beneficial to them or the oil companies. the smartest country was Brazil that learned from the 70's oil crisis. as we laughed at them for investing time and money into there infrastructure to grow sugar cane to convert to ethanol. now they are oil independent and will not suffer from market price volatility. we could buy the sugar cane or ethanol from them but of course we have put a tariff on there ethanol making it not attractive to import the reason to protect our farmers which in turn have caused foods to become more expensive. the problem with this country u.s.a.

is the people have never been able to organize large enough protests like they do in other countries to demand immediate changes. and as far as the u.s. energy department they have had no real plan to do anything about it because they are sleeping with the oil companies they have no energy policy. Ford and GM also fell asleep and only produced gas guzzling large suv ;s and trucks they are in financial crisis and they want the u.s taxpayers to bail them out. i say no ! there is technology available to make cars and trucks get better gas maileage but the automakers prefer to sell $4000.00 navigational systems instead of making the vehicles more efficient since that would cost them more money. we deserve what has happened because we allowed it. the politicians make more than enough money to buy there gas or i should say the american tax payers pay for there gas and for the u.s. government also. we should tax the oil companies like the u.k did any profits above $60.00 u.s. per barrel of oil will pay a penalty tax to be used for investing in other alternative fuels and to reduce pump prices. exxon paid there c.e.o $350 million dollars salary and retirement package . now do you see the problems ?  another problem is the oil companies and stock brokerage firms manipulatig prices. amoco says they had to shut down an oil field that caused prices to go up then ole lorer from morgan stanley said oil prices will reach $150.00 a barrel by july 4th that caused oil to skyrocket by an extra $ 12.00 per barrel in one day. that guy should be shot they should not be able to comment on prices and influence the oil market which they invested in that should be illegal. opec is just laughing at us making alot of money. so lets do something about it and tell our congressman and senators enough is enough. we also need to stop buying so much products from china as this has made there country grow and consume more gas. we should invest in our hemisphere and not theres. energy companies should be allowed to make a profit but what they are making is breaking all of us and should be stopped or regulated of course there lobbyists will pay money so no legislation is passed against them. in 2007 the oil companies made more than $ 123 billion dollars in profit. please reply and let your views be known.

Answer 3

There isn't a speed limit reduction because the majority of us (The American Voters) don't want one and the last time I checked the Government is supposed to do as we tell it.

Answer 4

When you start messing with Speed Limits, you start bringing up the ole' big brother syndrome.  Much like requiring helmets for Motorcycle riders...they get up in arms.

Answer 5

I'll tell you what smells....it's those greedy selfish republicans.  And they really do not have to lower the speed limit...most people with common sense are driving at a lower speed as is.

Answer 6

For janet up there.

its not the republicans faults...completely atleast

gas prices would be better if the evnvirementilist democrats in the house of reps and sentate.

they dont let our country open any refineries so we have a shortage on gas.  And we still do need to find alternate energy cuz we are running out.

But to awnser your question

Going faster would not give u better gas mileage.

Evrey stop light in our country is timed for the speed limit it is right now so essientially u would speed up fast then slow down for evrey stop light.  And on the freeway it would cause more accidents and how would it fix cars when theres traffic and there just idleing and burning up gas

oh yea and the speed limit is higher in europe and thats not doing much......(8 dollars to the gallon)

Answer 7

Its not the government's job to dictate how much fuel we can or can not burn.  Speed limits should be set in the interest of safety,  not fuel consumption.  Its also not the government's job to make manufacturers produce more efficient cars.  That's the consumer's job.  When car buyers stop buying gas guzzlers the car companies will stop making them.  We have known about alternative fuels for many years but the price of oil was less than the cost of producing those alternative fuels.  Now that oil is expensive businesses are re-evaluating the costs of the alternatives.  Some of them will be cost effective,  others will not.  A year ago biodiesel was more expensive than petrodiesel.  Now the price is about the same so biodiesel suddenly starts to make economic sense.  What energy companies are afraid of is investing millions of dollars into alternative energy and then the price of oil dropping.  If that happens they will not be able to sell the alternative fuels and that investment will not be recovered.

Answer 8

There isn't a speed limit reduction because the vast majority of Americans don't want it.  If you were around duirng the 55 MPH days, you would have heard the whining in space.  Especially in the Western States where you might have to drive 300 miles or more to get anywhere.  If the people of the United States are serious about saving themselves money, they will.

1) Slow down on their own

2) Not buy so much gasonline creating a crisis within the oil companties.

3) Demand that the government start work on alternative fuel development of at least subsidizing the private sector in that regard.

4) Ethanol has its own problems, just like MTBE was going to save California's air... by destroying everything else including our pocket books.