Warner dusts off 55 mph Speed Limit

A reasonable Solution wrote:

Work on eliminating bottle necks on our highways to reduce the likelihood of traffic backups. Synchronize lights to improve traffic flow. Most cars have great aerodynamics and fuel savings between 55 and 70 are very small. The key to good gas mileage is reducing the need to accelerate and braking. Setting the speed limit to the 85th percentile of drivers will greatly enhance safety and fuel economy because 85% of vehicles will all be going roughly the same speed.
Set the speed limit to 55, it is guaranteed that 90 of drivers will ignore and deviate from that speed and at the same time create tension and disrespect for the law and law enforcement.

Zonker wrote:

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Your lack of understanding is part of the problem. The items you mentioned make sense, but your statement that 'fuel savings between 55 and 70 are very small' is completely wrong, and indicates real ignorance on your part. Until people change their thinking, we will make little progress on saving oil.
Basically, every mph over 55 costs you 1% in fuel economy.Driving at 70 cuts your fuel economy by at least 15%.. If that's 'very small', I'd like your definition of true savings. LOL
"The limit became increasingly unpopular and was repealed in 1995. Now you can do 65 mph on most of Interstate 580 in the East Bay all the way down to I-5, where 70 mph is the rule and 80 mph a common practice.
But as a gas-saving device, 55 mph still works. The Malibu got 35 mpg on the way down to Kettleman City; coming back from the Kings County settlement of fast-food restaurants and gas stations at the flow of traffic, a bit over 70 mph, the mileage dropped sharply -- to 25 mpg.
"That's pretty significant,'' said Sean Comey, spokesman for AAA of Northern California. "More than I would have expected.''
For every mile per hour faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1 percent, said Jason Mark, clean vehicles program director for the Union of Concerned Scientists. The drop-off increases at a greater rate after 65 mph. The faster you go, the faster the fuel goes. "
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi...

Zonker wrote:

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Intelligent people will drive 55. Many already are. More will, when they realize the savings, and are tired of wasting fuel.
The idiots will always be with us. They're the ones who think they have to go fast.
The times they are a'changin.

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Reson wrote:

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Dream on, aint nobody gonna drive 55. Life is lived in the fast lane so get used to it.

litesong wrote:

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Life is exciting in the slow lane too. Love planet Earth & it showers gifts of beauty to my eyes continually. Going slower, I get to see that beauty longer. I have many extraordinary landscape photos because I look at it slowly as I feather foot along my way. I gain 20% better MPG than lead footers. My small cars extend my MPG edge extraordinarily with my last 3 mountain traveling tanks of gas averaging 51.3 MPG. The last tank gave 50.8MPG while traversing mountain ups & downs of 11,000 feet! One slow Honda Fit driver averages 48MPG. One Toyota Yaris driver nailed down 60MPG while traveling thru Yellowstone Nat'l Park...slowly.
Fast is not better. Burning up the highway, only burns up your fuel. I'll keep my fuel money in my pocket, so I can travel further than you & explore more than you. You don't need to pay a big Hybrid price to get Hybrid MPG. Just drive smarter & slower.

Zonker wrote:

<quoted text>
Your lack of understanding is part of the problem. The items you mentioned make sense, but your statement that 'fuel savings between 55 and 70 are very small' is completely wrong, and indicates real ignorance on your part. Until people change their thinking, we will make little progress on saving oil.
Basically, every mph over 55 costs you 1% in fuel economy.Driving at 70 cuts your fuel economy by at least 15%.. If that's 'very small', I'd like your definition of true savings. LOL
"The limit became increasingly unpopular and was repealed in 1995. Now you can do 65 mph on most of Interstate 580 in the East Bay all the way down to I-5, where 70 mph is the rule and 80 mph a common practice.
But as a gas-saving device, 55 mph still works. The Malibu got 35 mpg on the way down to Kettleman City; coming back from the Kings County settlement of fast-food restaurants and gas stations at the flow of traffic, a bit over 70 mph, the mileage dropped sharply -- to 25 mpg.
"That's pretty significant,'' said Sean Comey, spokesman for AAA of Northern California. "More than I would have expected.''
For every mile per hour faster than 55 mph, fuel economy drops by about 1 percent, said Jason Mark, clean vehicles program director for the Union of Concerned Scientists. The drop-off increases at a greater rate after 65 mph. The faster you go, the faster the fuel goes. "
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi...

Reson wrote:

I used to know a guy who had a volkswagen rabbit diesel, I envied him so much when he could drive from Everett, Wa. to Riverside, Ca. on 24 gallons of fuel.

Zonker wrote:

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I drive in 5th gear at speeds above 40mph, providing it's on level terrain. With no lugging or engine noise. The key is, when you need to accelerate, or go uphill, you downshift for that. Then back into 5th for crusing at a steady speed.

Zonker wrote:

<quoted text>The times, they are a'changin. Even for those who think speeding is some sort of birthright. It's not.

Mac-7 wrote:

And drilling for more oil offshore and in ANWR.

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Zonker wrote:

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You obviously don't understand the crutial point: The faster you go, the more air you must displace. It has far less to do with gearing and engines than it does with aerodynamics. You don't understand the physics involved.
As far as not putting the car in 5th gear at low speeds, you really need to learn to drive standard shift. I drive in 5th gear at speeds above 40mph, providing it's on level terrain. With no lugging or engine noise. The key is, when you need to accelerate, or go uphill, you downshift for that. Then back into 5th for crusing at a steady speed.
Your powerband statements are nonsense. Fifth gear in current cars is barely an overdrive gear. Try to understand Newton's third law of motion.

litesong wrote:

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This is the talk of people with 44 gallon belch-fire super polluter vehicles. My 10 gallon car will travel further than the belchers.
It is the belch-fire super polluters that force the oil companies to dig deeper for expensive oil.

Bonkers wrote:

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You're old school. The times, they are a'changin.
Even for those who think speeding is some sort of birthright. It's not. Time to use common sense instead of juvenile desires.

litesong wrote:

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This is the talk of people with 44 gallon belch-fire super polluter vehicles. My 10 gallon car will travel further than the belchers.
It is the belch-fire super polluters that force the oil companies to dig deeper for expensive oil. It is the belch-fire super polluters going 85MPH that make children who live, school & play near freeways(what a misnomer) sicker than more fortunate children who are further from freeways.