[deputy125]

I've given this some thought----each and every time i'm going down the highway and end up passing some folks who have took it upon themselves to slow down to 55-60 mph in what i would deem an effort to save fuel. And its not just a few---its quite a few. Seen it also with the big rigs as they are slowing down as well-----not everyone, but enough to take notice.

So my question is---should the Feds retro back and put the 55 mph national limits back in place?
Would this save enough fuel on the national level to have an impact on fuel prices and bring them down or would the oil companies just reduce imports/refinery capabilities to match the demand instead of giving us a break at the pumps? If we reduce the demand, will they just reduce the supply to keep the prices high?

Even if prices stay the same, would it be worth the savings to the individual to justify it on a nat'l level?

And on the other hand, is it more dangerous to have currently say-20% of the drivers going 55 and the rest obeying the speed limit? Does make for some bottle necks on some two lane highways as folks try to pass the 55 crowd.

I myself dropped to 55 mph on some back roads and it sure felt strange but i got use to it after a while-----till traffic starts stackin' behind me................

 

[Wizard]

I vote to slow it to 55mph.....that way, people will only drive 70 on the interstate..... :x The area on I-75 from Ocala, Fl to Lake City, Fl, is becomming known as death alley. The wonderful state of Florida can't figure out why this stretch of road has so many deaths. I can tell those idiots.....it's the SPEED, STUPID. The speed limit is 70, but the average vehicle is traveling at 85mph.....We probably everage 2 -3 deaths a week in this area...just last saturday morning, a semi traveling south, crossed the median and hit another semi head on...killed both drivers.....I'm just glad I'm retired now, and don't have to drive to work on that highway anymore.....

 

[gunman42782]

Heckfire, I wish they would raise it to 90!

 

[Johngoboom]

Dito Gunman!

The German Autobahn is one of the safest roads in the world. NO SPEED LIMIT!

 

[Bountyhunter]

I vote leave it. The oil companies are making 25 billion a year in profits. Nothing is going to change that. They're greedy no good douche bags.

 

[jimbo1096]

Hell no- I think they should abolish the speed limit in the open countryside on the freeways. And crack down on speeders in the city limits.

 

[Deadeye]

I don't think it'll matter one bit to the Corporate Nazis! Them Greedy C#%&$uckers are going to get there profits no matter what. They'll just use it as another excuse to raise the price. When they had that big explosion at BP in Texas city a few years back, they used it as an excuse to raise prices at the pump. My cousin worked at that plant then, he said it only closed one unit at the plant & they just turned up production & didn't miss a beat. And thats just one refinery out of hundreds!

I myself have slowed down to 55-60 everywhere even on the freeway. I was suprised how much the difference was, it gets me an extra 2-3 miles to the gal. That may not sound like much, but when you figure thats an extra 40-50 miles per tank full it adds up. If you know me, then you know I don't give a shit who I piss-off. So I just set my cruse, don't even look at the rear view mirror & just give those one fanger waves right back & LMAO! I've also noticed when I get to the stop lights there sits those same one fanger wave'n Stupid Assholes. I just smile thinking I burned a lot less gas gett'n to the same place than they did. I even had a lady thank me in the parking lot at Wally-World, she said she was all pissed off at me slowing her down untill we passed a cop shooting radar. She said I saved her a ticket.

 

[Wizard]

You all can raise the speed limit if you want, but in addition to the two killed last saturday, we had two more killed yesterday in seperate accidents. I don't care what you say, people cannot drive safely at high speeds....leave that for racecar drivers....

 

[sheepdog]

I've worked far more wrecks caused by a slower-than-the-rest driver than by a speeder....I'm for a speed limit with a 15 mph flex-and let the officer's discretion determine if they were blending with traffic, causing a problem by being too slow or erratic....the spirit of the law works a lot better than the letter of the law...in a lot of areas!!!

 

[Natalie]

So a place called 'Wally-World' really exists in Texas? :roll: I thought it was fictitious and made up for the movies. Wanna tell me what I'd find there at Wally-World or did Deadeye just make that up?

 

[Wizard]

Wally World = Wal-Mart.....

 

[sheepdog]

Welcome back, Natalie...we missed you...y'all have fun?

 

[Wizard]

Sheepdog, since I have never been a LEO, I accept you at your word (that and I respect you)...but, if high speed is safe, then why do race cars have full roll cages?....would it not be prudent for passenger vehicles to also have full roll cages, not to mention fuel cells that don't explode on impact.....I'm not trying to argue, but I just do not believe that the average driver is properly trained to handle vehicles at high speed, and I also do not believe the average vehicle is built to protect the occupants in the event of a violent impact....btw: I drive a 7000 lb truck because I feel it affords better protection than a ford mustang..... :lol:

 

[Deadeye]

Well Sheepdog, if I'm driving 55-60mph & the speed limit is 70 then I'm with in a 15mph. flex!
The problem is nobody drives 70, there doing 80-90. By the way I voted to leave the speed limit where it is. I still like the idea that I can do 70 if I want to. I have a lot of experince behind the wheel (drove big rigs for a while & drove for my construction jobs). But Wizzard is right, your avg. idiot (approx. 90% of drivers CDLs excluded) don't have the 1st. clue what to do if they start to loose control. And most of them have a cellphone perminately attached to their heads which are firmly embedded in there ass! When I used to get up at 5am & Drive 50mi. to work everyday I can't tell you how many idiots were on the phone & how many were eating breakfast Or my favorite women putting on makeup. I would agree with you if all the idiots would pull there heads out of their asses but thats not going to happen. This doesn't even account for the ones that have had a "couple of belts" or toked up a "Big Fatty" for breakfast.

 

[deputy125]

and this is what i'm talking about....................
on one hand you have folks going 55 because they can't afford to go faster---the price of fuel for some might even be cuttin' into the grocery budget..........

on the other hand you have plenty of folks going 70----or more because they either can aford the gas or time is of importance........

is the poential for auto accidents going to increse because of the spread in speed amongst the masses?

In my neck of the woods it may not matter, but i could just imagine on the interstate around dallas or san antonio what kind of mess it would be if say 20% of the traffic was goin' 55 vs the rest----heck you dang near get runned over in those areas doing the speed limit as it is now.......

point is, folks appear to be slowin' down on their own because they have no choice but to try to save..............

and as a side note, will there be an increase in "road rage"?

 

[sheepdog]

Around Big D, we get crowded and honked if we're doing the speed limit...by those doing at least 10 over...it's smoother traffic when we all do 60-67....and a 50 or 55 causes a lot of near-rear-enders....I don't tout the driving abilities of most, but I hold that to blend with the herd is better than to lead or drag them...when a jackrabbit comes through, I think "Yeah, you go on ahead and get my ticket..."......when I run up on a 55er, I wish they were on the service road....
I agree with the cell phone danger and makeup-liked to have gotten creamed by a bimbo doing her eyelashes last week....I drive a truck, too, but the trouble is made worse by the high number of "folks" who buy one month's insurance, get their card, and don't pay the last 5 months....THEN run you down...you just can't get much dollar value out of idiot hides these days...............

 

[mrb]

my mother actually got a tigket for driving too slow on a two lane hwy. near bonifay Fl. in the 50's.