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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

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#69 of 1418
Re: What a stupid idea! [cuhulin] by fezo
Dec 08, 2007 (12:48 pm)
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Replying to: cuhulin (Dec 08, 2007 12:17 pm)

Just for the sake of argument, since I don't support a national 55 limit, the states always had the right to set their own speed limits. Setting one above 55 would mean no federal money for the roads, however, so there were consequences for doing so which naturally no one wanted to face.
 
Now I don't think the distances between teh cities in the west got longer since last time we had 55, but yeah, driving 55 in the west was absolutely nutty. Spent the longest day of my life driving from Los Cruces, New Mexico to Kerrville, Texas.
#70 of 1418
Re: What a stupid idea! [cuhulin] by euphonium
Dec 08, 2007 (5:14 pm)
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Replying to: cuhulin (Dec 08, 2007 12:17 pm)

lower speed limits lead to more falling asleep at the wheel, more road rage, and less respect for the law in general.
 
falling asleep is a separate issue
 
road rage is a separate issue caused by the instigator lacking patience
 
less respect for the law in general is another separate issue.
 
The feeble attempt at blaming a 55 mph limit for the above incidents indicates
not accepting personal responsibility for commiting those errors.
#71 of 1418
Re: What a stupid idea! [euphonium] by fintail
Dec 08, 2007 (6:50 pm)
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Replying to: euphonium (Dec 08, 2007 5:14 pm)

But finding anyone in the world to logically defend 55 vs 45 or 50 or 60 or 65 is the same issue...and it can't be done. It is regressive and arbitrary and plain old stupid. No other developed nation would have such a low limit (and let's face it, the US is never right and everyone else is wrong), applied with a broad brush to every highway regardless of condition or location, and enforced based on a random number generator.
 
Funny that those who preach responsibility usually have little of it themselves...always some liberal or anarchist conspiracy behind every problem in the world, always the responsibility of others, never a mention of their own...talk about feeble. The silent generation should keep to this nickname...
#72 of 1418
what politician by boaz47
Dec 08, 2007 (10:43 pm)
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in their right mind would support a national 55 MPH speed limit? It was soundly rejected the last time they tried it and the cars weren't as capable of higher speeds as they are today. When I visited my son at Fort Hood in 2005 I followed a truck doing 85 for about 200 miles in my PT cruiser. I could see no reason to pass because I would have to do better than 90 to get by. When I stopped for gas my average fuel mileage was 30 MPG. I know much of it was because of a slight draft on the truck but still I didn't normally average 30MPG. Except once on a cruise with 35 other PTs going to Santa Barbara. We got 30 MPG and averaged 60 MPH as a group. Just what real advantage would there be to another try at a national 55 MPH speed law. They would never get my vote.
#73 of 1418
Re: Should the US government bring back the 55 mph max speed limit again? [waltchan] by snakeweasel
Dec 09, 2007 (10:30 am)
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Replying to: waltchan (Dec 04, 2007 3:42 pm)

OK I will jump into this. I say no simply because this is outside what the Federal Government is supposed to do.
 
If individual states want to impose a 55 MPH SL then fine let them, but the Federal Government should stay out of it.
 
I think right now a more strict enforcement of current SL's will do a lot too.
#74 of 1418
Re: Should the US government bring back the 55 mph max speed limit again? [hpmctorque] by snakeweasel
Dec 09, 2007 (10:49 am)
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Replying to: hpmctorque (Dec 05, 2007 6:30 am)

as well as the value they place on their time,
 
Lets face it for 95% of the people 95% of the time they will only save a few minutes at most.
#75 of 1418
Re: Should the US government bring back the 55 mph max speed limit again? [snakeweasel] by 0patience
Dec 09, 2007 (10:51 am)
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Dec 09, 2007 10:30 am)

If individual states want to impose a 55 MPH SL then fine let them, but the Federal Government should stay out of it.
 
Agreed.
 
I am curious though, where is the data that confirms that 55 mph saves fuel??
In the 70s (yes, I am that old), they thought that 55 would save fuel, which it didn't and chose that speed. Why don't we appease the environmentalists and everyone else who doesn't want to see any personal/private vehicles on the roads and make all of the highway speed limits 35 mph. It will definitely save lives.
 
Some folks have no idea of the amount of work that they do before they change any speed limit. There is a ton of research on the road they wish to make the change on, a "study" is done. If they feel that the road traffic cannot handle a change in the speed limit, then it isn't done.
 
Should the govt bring back the 55 mph speed limit? No. It was pathetic then, as it would be now. The new technology no longer makes a statement that it would save fuel true.
#76 of 1418
Re: Absolutely not... [grbeck] by snakeweasel
Dec 09, 2007 (10:57 am)
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Replying to: grbeck (Dec 05, 2007 10:21 am)

and there is no definitive link between higher speeds and more fatalities.
 
I will disagree with you on this. I have read many studies that claim that increasing speeds above 40 MPH does increase the likelihood of a fatal accident by as much as 5% per 1MPH increase. As speed increases the amount of time decreases, amount of force the car is exerting increases and the car becomes harder to control.
#77 of 1418
Re: Actually... [grbeck] by snakeweasel
Dec 09, 2007 (11:20 am)
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Replying to: grbeck (Dec 07, 2007 9:46 am)

No word yet on the position of Lenin, Stalin or Pol Pot on it...
 
IIRC Stalin had Packards.
#78 of 1418
national speed limit? by deskman
Dec 09, 2007 (1:35 pm)
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The speed limit on most cars is controlled by the ecu.
 
Keep in the right lane and only use the left lane to pass.If we all did that traffic would cease to exist .
 
55 just wastes time.

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