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Automotive News & Views Should the US government bring back the 55 mph max speed limit again?
1418 messages, Last post on Dec 16, 2008 at 11:21 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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that a certain speed limit would be more fuel efficient across the board. My wife and I have a 2002 Hyundai Elantra that we use as a 3rd car for running errands. It has 110,000 miles on it. We noticed with this car, as it got higher mileage on it, the gas mileage got better. When it was new, we got 34 mpg on the hwy at 60-65mph. Driving higher speeds lowered the gas mileage. Now, you can take it on the highway, and 70mph seems to be the optimal speed as the mileage dips a little at 60-65, and dips again at 75. We have gotten as high as 39 on a highway trip with the cruise set at 70. Anytime a politician recommends something like this, I just become skeptical that they have other motives besides whatever they are claiming (in this case saving fuel). I believe Warner is from VA, and I can tell you from experience with driving in southern and western VA, that state seems to be very strict on traffic enforcement. |
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Replying to: steve_ (Jul 04, 2008 6:09 pm) Apparently, he is unaware that deaths have dropped again this year, without a change in speed limit. The drop in deaths is because people are driving less, and have cut discretionary driving. I'm sure, however, that there is some sort of law in Washington, D.C., saying that a dumb idea can never be allowed to completely rest. A speed limit should be set to inform drivers unfamiliar with a particlar road or stretch of road what is a safe speed. It should not be set to maximize fuel economy of vehicles (which varies for individual vehicles anyway). Drivers can figure out how much fuel they want to use by looking at how much they are paying at the pump. Adults can figure this out for themselves and adjust their use accordingly, based on how much they want to pay. And our police have better things to do than attempt to enforce widely ignored speed limits that are supposed to "save" energy and reduce fatalities, but end up doing neither. |
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as far as trucks getting better mileage at greater speeds,depends where.. if a truck with a smaller engine(witch today,is most) is trying to get 80,00 gross up a hill,and needs to get MOMENTUM to get up said hill,but the local geandarms are wise to this,and their quaffiers need enhancement,then,guess what??..as most speed limit laws,they are more about the money more than public safety..(whodathunkit?) as far as todays car not runninas effiencient as a 1973 model,think FOUR SPEED AUTO??..my -73 gutless(cutlass) only had the turbo 350-a three speed,witch was a improvement over the powerglide..(a two speed used untill 1962) with the lock-up torque converter,and the 4 speed auto,my aerostar unlocks the torque converter at speeds less than 50,or so,and doesn't shift to 4th till45,..so yes,todays cars,with fuel injection 4speed auto,ect,will NOT run well for verry long at 55.. if you want to drive55-the minimum speed in ohio is 40..stay in the right lane,as ohio's one of those states that lacks a left-lane-law..i find the MOST dangerous driver is not the one racing through traffic as mutch as the slowpokes who are on "autopilot"and driving so slow the road is not getting their attention..do us all a favor?? SLEEP AT THE HOUSE?--AND NOT IN THE LEFT LANE??M-K?? we tried 55,and for a v8/3 speed auto(what most cars were then),55 did save gas--when you were averageing 8 to 12 mpg,!!todays v6 fuel injected 4 speed,slower speeds aren't nessecarily the answer! 
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Replying to: loosenut (Jul 08, 2008 1:12 pm) The 55 mph back in 1973 was bad mainly because we were told "you can't do that any more". It did save lives, but the fuel was saved only because people stayed home, just as many are now. Fuel saving then? Only if you consider a car stuck at home is saving fuel. I frankly think 55 is no answer. Those who can afford the tickets and the fuel will always do more than the posted speed, even if the speed limit was 90 mph. It's the avrerage working Joe that is trying to just make a living that keeps it close to the speed limit, and who pays dearly for speeding. farout |
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Replying to: loosenut (Jul 08, 2008 1:12 pm) If a truck has trouble going up a hill, they can downshift. It does not require their speeding wildly on a downslope hoping to get extra speed so they can get farther up the opposing hill before they are going the speed limit again. Perhaps the real solution is to lower the maximum weight of trucks. In that case they won't need engines as powerful and they won't have to downshift as often. Most cars are in high gear by 50 and the torque converter is locked in at whatever the maximum is. At 55 there is more air resistance so the mileage will be cut slightly; same for 60; same for 65; and on with the air resistance increasing at more than a linear relationship.
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Jul 08, 2008 2:33 pm) |
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...a recall seeing a picture of a strange-looking 1970 Ford Torino with a long tapering nose. Was this Ford's abortive answer to the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird?
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Replying to: lemko (Jul 09, 2008 5:06 am) |
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Replying to: lemko (Jul 09, 2008 5:06 am)  grbeck is correct; Nascar rule changes killed it. I love the 70-71 Torino GTs. My Dad had a Bright Yellow 1970 GT complete with "Laser Stripes" and the shaker hood.
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Jul 08, 2008 2:33 pm) So if you reduce the weight a truck can haul isn't that going to increase the number of trucks you need? For example if you reduce the weight from 80,000Lb to 60,000 Lb aren't you going to increase the number of trucks needed by 33%? I also disagree with you, if you're saying trucks should not try and keep their momentum up, by using the "free" energy going downhill. For a truck to brake going downhill and converting that motion-energy to heat, and then down-shift sooner to compensate going uphill is a terrible waste of fuel. Most cars are in high gear by 50 and the torque converter is locked in at whatever the maximum is. Maybe some of the 4 cyl. 4-spd. econo type cars, but the newer cars will not. They are geared for higher speed travel. My 4-cyl car can barely run in 6th gear at 50mph on the level never mind any kind of incline, without lugging the engine. The turbo is not spooled-up and the car would have no torque. To drive 50mph I need to be in 5th, which will use about 20% more fuel.
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Automotive News & Views Should the US government bring back the 55 mph max speed limit again?
