[POLL] Drop national Speed Limit back to 55 MPH from 70 MPH to save Fuel?

[Linflas]

Sure and while we're at it lets bring back prohibition as well. Both policies were equally successful. :roll:

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: jbourne77
If you want to drive 55MPH to save gas, that's fine... just stay the fark out of the left lane or I'll mow you down.

No you won't

I keep nail strips under the seat just for people like you

Ahh... my arch nemesis!!! EN GUARDE!

 

[aircooled]

I get better gas milage at 70mph

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: yllus
I've always felt that people will drive at the maximum safest speed they can no matter what you post up on a sign. Having a lowered speed limit is like hunting for more speeding ticket revenue.

This is so true. I remember back in the days of the 55 mph speed limit when the conventional wisdom was that people would always do at least 5 mph over the limit regardless of what the limit was, i.e. that people would drive 105 if the limit was 100. And for years, this was used as the excuse not to raise the speed limit.

And then the speed limit was finally raised and what happened? Most people didn't change how fast they drive at all. Hell, if I drive up to Seattle on I-5, it's hard to do the 70 mph limit for most of the way because most drivers are going 65. Except for teenage boys, drivers go the fastest speed they feel safe at, regardless of what is on the little white sign. They always have and always will.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Hell no, and if I see your dumbass driving 55mph on the freeway I'll run you off the road.

 

[Shawn]

my car gets it's best gas milage at 75mph.

 

[Ultima]

My car (Mazda Protege 2003 LX 5spd) seems to get best gas mileage at 90 - 100km/h. At 100km/h it's already revving at 3000rpm so the gas mileage drops off quickly above this speed (62 mph).

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: BigJ
In my 99 Ford Escort, I *seem* to get better gas mileage travelling at ~75ish than I do at 55ish. When travelling at ~75ish, I was getting ~27MPG. At 55, I get around 24MPG.

I got these numbers by monitoring my mileage for a quarter tank, and then dividing that by the number of gallons in a quarter tank.

In both of the cars I've driven extensively, a quarter tank is not really a quarter tank. Meaning, it doesn't go down linearly. In my first car I could drive 90 miles before it even got from the pin to the full line, then it'd go down slowly until a half tank, then rapidly after that.

I measure by counting km from a full tank. When I fill up a second time, I see how many km I drove against how many liters it took to fill the tank again.

 

[Bullhonkie]

On the highway and/or easy cruising I seem to get the best mileage around 2500rpm. Unfortunately even in 6th gear that means a lowly 62mph. My car is probably average in aerodynamics, not H2 bricklike but just 0.33Cd. It's just the really short gearing that kills my mileage.

I did one fillup of 60-65mph highway driving a few months ago and it was just over 3mpg better than my average year to date with usual highway driving anywhere from 70-80mph. It's hard to compare though because I don't keep track of the driving conditions for every fillup. Lately whenever I'm not in a rush, I've been driving 60-65 more often and chilling with the big rigs in the slow lane. Not directly behind though mind you, my paint chips really easily.

I don't think there needs to be a speed limit change. Just let the people who want to drive slower do their thing. As long as they keep to the slower lanes I don't see much of a problem.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Um...no. 70mph is fine, and people will drive as fast as they want to anyway (as people have mentioned already).