Senator Suggests National Speed Limit

(AP)  An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and possibly ease fuel prices.

Sen. John Warner, R-Va., asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit.

Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.

As motorists headed on trips for this Fourth of July weekend, gasoline averaged $4.10 a gallon nationwide with oil hovering around $145 a barrel.

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.

Warner asked the department to determine at what speeds vehicles would be most fuel efficient, how much fuel savings would be achieved, and whether it would be reasonable to assume there would be a reduction in prices at the pump if the speed limit were lowered.

Energy Department spokeswoman Angela Hill said the department will review Warner's letter but added, "If Congress is serious about addressing gasoline prices, they must take action on expanding domestic oil and natural gas production."

The department's Web site says that fuel efficiency decreases rapidly when traveling faster than 60 mph. Every additional 5 mph over that threshold is estimated to cost motorists "essentially an additional 30 cents per gallon in fuel costs," Warner said in his letter, citing the DOE data.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by toldyouso12 at 06:58 PM : Jul 06, 2008


I am suprised you bit on that one.
It was just for fun

[cheetah-man7]

nytimes.com-RISING FUEL COSTS HAVE STOPPED AGENCIES

FROM DELIVERING MEALS TO, OR PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION

FOR SENIOR CITIZENS AND THE DISABLED.

Does Obama have a plan???

Obama doesn''''t even have a clue!!

------------
Posted by JTait2


uh.... For someone who reads the NY Times, you clearly have not read that Clinton is OUT OF THE RACE.. She AND Bill are supporting Obama! If you are that hyped up over Hillary - how about raising the $22M she needs to close out her campaign?

Poor losers are exactly what our country does NOT need right now. We have enough problems with the stupid war and an economy which is on the downslide...

How about a little unity and good sportsmanship? Even Hillary is doing this - perhaps it''s time for her supporters to do the same!

[cheetah-man7]

As an experiment, I tried to keep my speed under 60 while on major highways this weekend. Interestingly, it DID actually allow me to save fuel. While idiots in their SUV''s were speeding past me at close to 80 MPG, I actually enjoyed my journey at a slower and less hectic pace. AND saved in fuel costs too. I think lowering the speed limit on the highways is a good idea. An even better idea is to have each American slow down in their lives and enjoy their own journey - before it is too late. Besides, what are we in such a hurry for? To get to work early to earn more money to end up spending at the fuel pump? No thanks...

[toldyouso12]

How about a speed limit (55 mph) for any vehicle that cannot get 35 mpg at the speed they are doing (under 75 mph.

Posted by ToolMangler at 06:20 PM : Jul 06, 2008


Ingenious!! (NOT) because how would you like the courts tied up while bailiffs, judges, traffic cops and defendants went outside daily to prove each car did not did not get that consumption. Never make a law that cannot be enforced. Mileage has a lot to do with how a car is maintained and driven, and if cops gave preferential treatment to certain models, the rest of us could holler discrimination.

[toldyouso12]

Must be a west half thing. I think it''''s actually a bell curve, a sweet spot where fuel consumption vs speed is maximized and that speed 30 years ago was determined to be 55. New cars may yield different results.


Posted by Rafterman1 at 11:36 PM : Jul 03, 2008


When the speed limit was 55 mph, most people did NOT drive it and they won''t drive it if it goes there again. Almost all interstates are now 65 to 70 mph with only those places within 20 miles of a large urban area going down to 55 or 60--but it does not matter. If you want to see what bats out of hell look like, go to any major artery of most cities (besides NYC, Chicago and LA*) and watch as the cars zoom by at at least 75 mph if not 80 mph. The only reason it is much slower in NYC and the rest is due to their horrible grid lock which reduces their optimal speed down to about 10 mph. LMAO.

They raised the speed limit back up when they found out that the majority of drivers did not obey the 55 mph speed limit anyway. Time to stop stupid laws that no one will obey and there are not enough cops to make us.

[toolmangler-2009]

How about a speed limit (55 mph) for any vehicle that cannot get 35 mpg at the speed they are doing (under 75 mph.

[whiskyrocker]

If the price of crude oil continues to climb people will have to slow down. The average working class individual will be in the hurting status for sure.

[slim1h2o]

If anyone thinks by lowering the speed limit, is going to lower the price of gas, are just foolish. Or stupid.

[kaylag04]

Posted by txgrouch2006 : "...Watch and see the oil bubble burst after Bush leaves office, just like the dotcom bubble burst after Clinton left office."

The dot-com bubble burst, and the NASDQ took a 50% hit while Clinton was still in office. Economic cycles and trends chug along no matter what Demopublican pin-heads are in the White House or on the Hill.

[toolmangler-2009]

Its not about oil (entirely), Globalization demands an even playing field, The USA, Canada and Europe are too rich yet. The respective economies are too high For a global (universal) monetary system and government. The Oil is only a tool to manipulate world markets and national economies. Keep your eyes and minds open people, it will get worse