Should a 55-mph National Speed Limit Become Law?

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If Obama cared about energy he would make a 55mph law

Julie borris of CA 4:09PM March 27, 2011

In either argument for or against it does not matter. The real problem is this law compelling you to perform at a specific level. Does anyone even know what's in the constitution? There are three types of law common, equity, admiralty that are sanctioned in this country. Common says punishments are criminal but the law cannot compel performance. In other words show me the injured party. Equity can compel performance but there are no criminal punishments. Plus you would have had to sign a contract knowingly, intentionally, willfully to make it aaplicable to you anyway. Admiralty can compel performance and have criminal punishments, however it is only applicable if you are not a citizen of this country. If I get a speeding ticket then who is the injured party? What person will you bring into the courtroom and say I deprived them of life, liberty, or personal property? This must make speed limits equity law based. The only problem is I signed no contract at anytime knowingly, willfully, and intentionally (must be all three) stating I agree to those speeed limits. Some may say I signed my DL, but I sign mine reserving my common law rights negating the enforced contract. DL's are another whole issue. If I don't pay my speeding tickets or show up to court then I may be arrested. So we now have speed limits that compel performance and criminal punishment........admiralty law. I was born and raised in this country, I have served my country, I love my country and these absurdities do not apply. For all you conservationists, did you know that temps are rising on the other planets in this system as well as ours? Should the planet of jupiter have it's citizens save gas, or any of the other planets for that matter? Oh wait, that's right, there's no one there. Heaven forbid we actually look to science to figure out whats happening to the temps. It's nothing more than a cycle of solar activity. Happens a lot over billions of years.

Russell of CO 9:57AM April 01, 2010

It appears there are many drivers out there who either wish they had or will be trading their present autos for an out of control Toyota because a sticking gas pedal will provide another excuse to go zooming down the interstate at 85-100 mph because if you drive on any interstate you know that no one drives at 70 or even 75. If you drive the speed limit you are subject to being run over by those who believe they own the road and can do as they please with no regard to the safety of others. One other note, these individuals do not slow any when off the interstate. Self-control and road rage know no bounds. My suggestion is, if you are in a rush, perhaps you may want to consider leaving earlier.

john young of KY 7:23PM March 04, 2010

The environmentalists are fakes unless they push for a 55 MPH speed limit. Less fuel is buned. Less polutions is made. Lives are saved since accidents are at slower speeds.
We get benefits and no costs. We do nothing but change the law and the printing on some signs.

James Holder of FL 2:12PM February 22, 2010

You drive 55 instead of 70 or 75, you lose a lot of time. Try commuting 100 miles, or driving from Maine to Florida at 55. You lose much time doing that, and that wasted time costs the effect of $15 or 20 an hour. It simply is not worth it to save a few gallons of gas.
Other tips to save gas: Tire inflation. Soft tires waste gas and threaten safety, and properly inflating tires adds no extra time to your trips.
Using appropriate gears. Driving at 30 MPH in second gear wastes more gas than doing 80 instead of 55. Use the highest gear you can comfortably use.
Take a bicycle or the bus for short trips. That is where more gas is used than at 80 MPH on the freeway.
Safety? Most accidents happen in intersections, and are caused by bad judgment at stop signs and red lights. The accidents on the freeway are usually from bad tires, drivers sleeping at the wheel, drinking and driving, or bad passing practices (usually passing the slowpoke doing 20 on the access ramp or 40-45 on the main highway). Bad visibility (fog or blinding snow) or slippery surfaces from rain, snow, or ice account for most of the other accidents from excessive speed.
And, indecision can be bad news. If you are driving 100, you need to be thinking 100 as well. Waiting until the last second to decide whether to get off at an exit can result in an accident, whether you are doing 55 or 155. Pay attention before you get there, so you will be able to execute your decision safely at your chosen speed.
With all that, why do we need to waste even more energy stopping people doing 56 on a 55? And waste gallons of gas having a cop hiding just waiting for a driver to be doing 56, sprinting to catch that driver, and that driver having to regain speed. Or, having drivers having to slow down to 55 at the bottom of a big hill instead of doing 85 or 90 there, slowing down on the hill, and using momentum instead of gas to help get up the other side?
55 wastes your time. 55 wastes your money. 55 prevents you from creating any value. 55 incites road rage. If it is raining, snowing, icy, or foggy, then 55 (or even 45, or lower) may be appropriate. But not for fair weather driving on the interstate highways.

D. W. of NY 8:29AM December 11, 2009

Lower speeds means lower gas consumption. Every 10 mph over 55 mph wastes 10% more gas. If you're getting 30mpg at 55, you're only getting 24mpg at 75. Just driving 55 mph would significantly reduce our carbon emiissions! Unfortunately, getting Americans to drive reasonably is about as hopeless as eating well and avoiding obesity. We have no will power.

Jeff B of IL 1:08PM July 23, 2009

I will not reiterate the earlier comments. the facts are well presented.
The proposed speed limit probably originated from a resident of an eastern state. The comment regarding a 25 mile commute hardly applies west if the Mississippi river. On the wast coast many commutes are 70 to 120 miles one way. There is a major difference in travel time between 55mph and 70-75 mph.
This is apparently an attempt to impose one person's preference on all persons. If one wishes to drive 55 mph on the interstate, he may do so. I know of no interstate highway with a minimum speed above 50 mph.
Do not forget the near rebellion created by the last nationwide speed limit. It did increase sales of radar detectors and spawned the song "Convoy" along with other folklore. My message to the proponents of the nationwide speed limit is; just leave me alone and take care of yourself.

Marion R. Riley of CA 6:40PM July 22, 2009

The UIC study focuses on highway safety and traffic fatalities due to post-NMSL speed limits. Let's look at some government statistics, which exist in great abundance. Specifically, I visited the websites of the National Highway Traffic System Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.
The NHTSA has established the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS); there, you’ll find the following data:
U.S. Highway Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled
2008: 1.27
2007: 1.36
2006: 1.42
2005: 1.46
2004: 1.44
2003: 1.48
2002: 1.51
2001: 1.51
2000: 1.53
1999: 1.55
1998: 1.58
1997: 1.64
1996: 1.69
1995: 1.73
1994: 1.73
The fatality rate has steadily dropped over this period to reach its lowest total in 2008. As another benchmark, the national highway deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 1980 was 3.35. In other words, traffic fatalities have dropped by 62% in less than 30 years. Technological advances in vehicle safety, as well as other factors such as highway improvements, over the years play a large role in the reduction of highway deaths.
But back to the 55 mph speed limit proponents. Here is a quote from the Federal Highway Administration on their Speed Management page:
Speeding is a safety concern on all roads, regardless of their speed limits. Much of the public concern about speeding has been focused on high-speed Interstates. The Interstate System, however, actually has the best safety record of all roads and the lowest fatality rate of all road classes. Almost 50 percent of speeding-related fatalities occur on lower speed collector and local roads, which carry only 27.9 percent of the total vehicle miles traveled in the United States. Collector roads usually have legal speed limits of 55 mi/h or less. Speed limits on local roads are often 35 mi/h or lower.
Lowering the current speed limits on the nation’s interstate system to reduce fatalities is unrealistic, not only because the government data and analysis don’t support that conclusion, but who among us expects the driving public to slow down to 55 mph when they know they can drive safely and appropriately at much higher speeds on the nation’s highways?

Max Frisson of TX 6:04PM July 21, 2009

This nonsense was tried in the 1970s and was a failure. We have the greatest road system in the world so lets use it as it was designed to be used to provide fast, safe, efficient travel over the longer distances used in the USA.

Kenneth DeVivo of MD 2:33PM July 21, 2009

The peanut farmer tried this in the 70's. He was hanged in effigy in the West where this speed is ridiculous. Truckers lost millions in lost time. The Federal government’s meddling in energy supplies made gas lines worse and further damaged the economy.
Why does the Federal Government think it knows best and people are stupid. Let the market work. Keep the government out of the economy, energy, industry and banks.

Gilbert Lindberg of CA 12:48PM July 21, 2009