Sen. Warner Suggests Federal Speed Limit

[DoubleEdgeSword]

I knew this was coming. Actually, I support it.


WASHINGTON (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 has asked the Energy Department at what speeds vehicles would be most fuel efficient.

Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, 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 The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.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 (http://topics.cnn.com/topics/John_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.



http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/03/warner.speed.limit.ap/index.html

[pinky]

That should slow traffic on the NJ Turnpike down to about 75. :greyno:

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Energy Department spokeswoman Angela Hill said "If Congress is serious about addressing gasoline prices, they must take action on expanding domestic oil and natural gas production."

Toe that party line, Ms. Hill.

To which Sen. Warner responded (quoting the above article):

The (Energy 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.

You go, sir.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

That should slow traffic on the NJ Turnpike down to about 75. :greyno:

Traffic around Atlanta was just as bad on my recent trip. Hardly anyone obeyed the speed limit.

[pinky]

We literally were almost killed last fall on our way up to Rutgers......a car doing about 90 (in fairly heavy traffic) decided to change lanes, before actually passing us.

I went the next 15 miles with jelly knees. :blueeek:

[db44]

Forget federal regulation, people can just do this on their own.

[Whoda Thunk?]

Forget federal regulation, people can just do this on their own.
Depends on where you are. In major cities, doing the speed limit can be dangerous, I wouldn't even THINK about going below the limit. People are crazy.

[db44]

People are crazy here too, but for the most part respect using the right lane as the slow lane.

[pinky]

Here in NJ, we have to deal with drivers from Pennsylvania, who do 50 in the left, and 80 in the right.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

And in Florida we have to deal with old people from up north who don't know what lane they're in or what speed they're doing. And they all drive with their turn indicator on.

[pinky]

"Up north" = Pennsylvania.

They do that here in NJ, too. ;)