I can't drive 55
The federally mandated 55 mile per hour speed limit put into force in 1974 by the Nixon administration did curb fuel consumption. But it was one of the most unpopular moves the government made during the energy crisis of that decade.
But now, a few politicians are daring to raise the "C" word -- conservation -- in public. Among them is Sen. John Warner (R., Va.), who last week sent an open letter asking the Energy secretary and the Government Accountability Office to study whether it's time to drop the speed limits on the nation's roads -- again. He's expecting an answer in time to raise the issue in the Senate before Congress breaks for the election in September.
Sen. Warner's letter makes reference to the old 55 mph speed limit, which was repealed in 1995. In an interview, he says he's not necessarily advocating a return to 55 miles per hour now. He's urging government analysts to marshal facts to determine at what speed modern automobiles, with electronic-fuel management, five- and six-speed transmissions and more aerodynamic designs, could run most efficiently.
Sen. Warner knows perfectly well that the old national speed limit was deeply unpopular. Talk of conservation has been mostly missing from the national energy debate, he says, because "none of the options are politically beneficial." But conservation measures such as dropping highway speeds are the best way to bring relief in the short term to families struggling with high fuel prices, he says.
So it looks like the government wants to put the blame on the average American for the oil crisis. Not the car companies and sure as hell not itself. Lowering the speed limit isn't going to slow many people down, only increase their insurance and speeding violations. The roads I already drive on are 55 mph roads. Guess what, I am still doing 70-80. Maybe we should focus more on making car companies develop more fuelcell cars and upping their mediocre mileage per gallon. Let's focus on that before deciding to ask the average person to either risk more penalties for speeding or add to their already historically long commute times!
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