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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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Replying to: gagrice (Dec 05, 2007 10:30 pm) Sort of like prohibition? I wonder if making alcohol illegal would reduce drunk driving deaths?
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You guys have me doubled over with laughter at this strong response to the 55 mph proposal! The whole Hitler thing was particularly hilarious. Thank you!  Oh, and 1stpik, when I said this: "more revenues will be garnered from speeding tickets, and that money can be used to finally bring our roads up to better than a third world standard." I was being facetious.  There is no doubt WHATSOEVER in my mind that any reduction in the national speed limit would be completely ignored by a solid 97% (maybe more) of the driving public.
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 05, 2007 10:49 pm) Right!, but you can bet the remaining 3% model citizen would make sure they drive 55 blocking the others behind them. It is too easy to have 3 cars occupying 3 lanes on the same row, blocking 100 cars. Some times looks like some people already anticipated such a bill.
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Replying to: andres3 (Dec 05, 2007 10:38 pm) There's no question that a 55 MPH national limit would save fuel, but I doubt it's going to happen. And, having spent quite a bit of time driving in Europe, I second the motion that American drivers are not only lacking in lane discipline, but discipline and driving courtesy period. When you spend some time in Europe, especially Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, you realize what courtesy is all about, as well as proper driving techniques. I will give you an example: when I was driving in southern Germany near Bodensee or Lake Constance during the summer, I slowed for a stoplight. A BMW pulled up beside me on the left with its radio blaring, just like you hear and see here in the States. However, when I looked over at the driver, and he too looked at me, he not only turned down the music, but rolled up the passenger side window to lower the decibel level of the music even further! Now, how many drivers in the States would do that?? If anything, they would crank it up even louder. |
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"There is no doubt WHATSOEVER in my mind that any reduction in the national speed limit would be completely ignored by a solid 97% (maybe more) of the driving public." This effectively answers the question of this discussion, "Should the US government bring back the 55 mph max speed limit again?" |
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55MPH IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA IT'S JUST THE LAW |
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55! What a joke that was. I drove from L.A. to Oklahoma during the 55 limit, and I thought I would never get there. Plus, the amount of time and money spent on having cops out there in unmarked cars giving tickets when they could have been used on other things was ridiculous. Montana had the right idea during that time. If a motorist was doing under 70, the motorist got a $5 waste of natural resources ticket.
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The 55 NSL was a tremendous waste of time and law enforcement resources. I also think that the law was so ridiculous that it reduced respect for traffic laws across the board. On top of that, you will find that almost every US car designed during that period was a less than stellar vehicle. My 1984 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe was good for just one stop from 80 mpf. Try for two and the pedal dropped to the floor... Now that the authority to set speed limits has been returned to the states(where it belongs), all we need is a law which makes camping in the left lane a capital offense.
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Replying to: roadburner (Dec 06, 2007 11:50 am) That authority was returned to the states in 1995 after repeal of a national speed limit law. Some federal strings are attached to federal highway trust funds money. link. I think there are dui and public transportation strings attached; probably a few other "national" things. All the rural interstates seem to run between 65 and 75 mph, expect for some sparsely populated counties in Texas where the limit is 80. I recall that Kansas had 80 mph limits back before the 70's oil crisis. Check out the Who Pays for our Roads? discussion too. |
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Replying to: roadburner (Dec 06, 2007 11:50 am) Such a shame that they will never pass that one... I remember that when they passed the national 55 law I had a Volvo 142. Now, anyone who ever had one of these things will know that you can get passed by glaciers driving one. If you could get the floorboards to rust out you could increase your speed by using the Fred Flintstone method of propulsion. That said, I had trouble staying awake doing 55 in it in New Jersey! Surely given today's far superior cars there's no place for turtle speeds on Interstates.
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