Lets lower speed limits because gas costs too much

[tsanto]

As fuel prices rise, some speedometer needles fall - Boston.com

This is so ridiculous. I dont know much about aerodynamics but on a modern car the difference in 65mph and 75mph cant be that much in gas milage.

If you read the whole article, they quote a state rep from alabama proposing "we'll lower the speed limits when gas prices get high and raise them when prices are low." Yeah ok buddy I'm sure you'll raise speed limits once prices are low (which wont happen for awhile anyway).

When gas prices soar people get these crazy ideas to lower speed limits and go buy vespas.

Which means there's probably going to be a lot of new riders with little to no experience riding around on two wheels trying to save a buck this summer.

And possibly lower speed limits.

[Ericthejet]

Gas will only ever go up as China and India will soon want as much as they can consume, which increases each week.

Perhaps more Vespa's is a good idea? Speed limits not so much as I think people will adjust on their own.

More small cars? Snow tires for the bike in winter?

[catch2otwo]

anything over 55mph affects gas mileage quite a bit especially in vehicals that get shit for mileage to begin with like my truck.

[nilez]

It's not so much about aerodynamics that saves you gas. It has to do with how hard the engine is working to maintain a given speed and how far of a distance you can travel at that speed. On my old Honda Accord, there was a yellow 55 mph mark (all the rest of the ticks were 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 etc written in white). The purpose of the yellow 55 mph was to indicate that that particular vehicle got the best gas mileage at 55 mph. So if you're comparing 65 mph to 75 mph, at 75 mph you're going faster and will reach your destination quicker (less time the car is on), but your engine is also working much harder (higher rpm's = burning more gas) than it would be at 65 mph.

As for the lowering the speed limits... I'm pretty sure that's ridiculous. If they wanna help the public out with high gas prices, lower the damn prices on gas! not the freakin speed limits... buncha arseholes.

[wookie]

The purpose of the yellow 55 mph was to indicate that that particular vehicle got the best gas mileage at 55 mph.

Or to indicate that the federally mandated speed limit at the time was 55 mph. A speed limit that resulted from the gas shortages in the 70s.

That little yellow mark on your old Honda was kind of like seeing into the future...we have been here before.

[nilez]

touche sir.

[SSearchVT]

The milage is affected by how hard the engine has to work to mantain the speed, and aerodynamic drag enters into this. However - there is an ideal speed to drive a car at to maximize the milage. My exploder gets the best milage on the interstate at about 70 with the cruise control set. The transmission is in overdrive, and spinning fast enough to lock up the torque converter. Slower then this and the converter isn't locked up. Faster then this and it has to drop down into passing gear to keep going.

Bigger factors on milage are tire pressure (can affect milage by up to 10%), driver mood (can affect milage by up to 25%), and engine tune (changing oil brand alone can get you a 1% or 2% change).

Unfortunately the author of the article is only looking a data that supports their point.

[chrisc]

As for the lowering the speed limits... I'm pretty sure that's ridiculous. If they wanna help the public out with high gas prices, lower the damn prices on gas! not the freakin speed limits... buncha arseholes.

It's supply and demand. If you lower the price on gas, then demand would actually increase, or at least stay the same. For prices to go down demand needs to decrease or supply needs to go up. There is no short term solution to add more supply.

The thinking is, if you reduce the speed limit, national usage will decline (how much, I dunno), hence there will be less demand and prices go lower.

That's why all this nonsense about removing the federal gas tax for the summer driving season makes no sense in the long term. The same demand will still be there, people will not conserve, price will continue to rise, then BAM, when the gas tax comes back into play prices are even higher yet, and the federal highway budget is screwed.

[TheIglu]

As for the lowering the speed limits... I'm pretty sure that's ridiculous. If they wanna help the public out with high gas prices, lower the damn prices on gas! not the freakin speed limits... buncha arseholes.

Two different people here.....the people who set the prices on gas are not the people setting speed limits.....

[schleppy]

anything over 55mph affects gas mileage quite a bit especially in vehicals that get shit for mileage to begin with like my truck.

This is true. This past weekend I did a trip to VA in my Ranger (4 cyl, auto, 2wd, borrowed cap).

On the way down I decided to drive exactly the speed limit when safe to do so (and when I wasn't in someones way). I averaged 32.5mpg! I was effing shocked. Usually I get around 22-25 around town, maybe 27 on a long highway trip. I realize the cap helps a lot, but jesus.

I say, let people decide how fast to drive on their own. Lowering the speed limits is just going to piss a lot of people off. After all, they do have "minimum" speeds that have been in effect for years. Want to save gas, go 55. If anything a lot of the limits in this state need to be raised (55mph on 93, give me a break. People average 80+ on that road most days).

[RandyO]

I dont know much

there's the answer to your question


you personally may only save 3% and it may not be worth it for you to slow down, however the total number of vehicles combined savings 3% is in the billions

[wylee]

Or to indicate that the federally mandated speed limit at the time was 55 mph. A speed limit that resulted from the gas shortages in the 70s.

That little yellow mark on your old Honda was kind of like seeing into the future...we have been here before.

Bringing back the 55mph speed limit would do alot more to help than the "gas tax holiday" the vote trollers are waving around. I hope we don't see it, but the 55mph limit could easily reduce gas demand by 3% nationwide.

I'n my Corolla, I can save 10-12% by setting the cruise on 60 instead of 70.

[wookie]

IMO - 55 mph may have been a good choice in the 70s, but modern cars are set up for 65-70. Given that, a 65 mph speed limit makes sense.

Oh shit, the speed limit is 65 mph.

BTW - as a "general" rule motors are most efficient around their max torque.

[RandyO]

My exploder gets the best milage on the interstate at about 70 with the cruise control set. .

while your vehicle may get better milage as you claim, on average, the total fleet of vehicles on the road doesn't, it would not be safe to allow a few vehicles to go faster, so what happens, you loose.

even at its best milage an exploder gets shitty milage anyway, maybe your next vehicle will get better, why in fuck you need a SUV, can't handle northern New England winters with 2wd


I actually don't care if they reduce the speed limit, other than highways, where does it make a difference, as it is, I avoid highways,

but, if it causes more people to travel back roads, I'm against it

[jimaug87]

"mileage drops sharply at speeds above 65 as engines work harder to overcome wind resistance that rises exponentially"

I don't know the science behind the theory, but I've realized it in practice. I had a Savage 650 for a bit, and could feel the wall passing 65. Sitting straight up as I was, I really did notice much more risistance pushing back on me as I crested 65mph.

On the ninja i didn't notice it, because of the forward leaning position, my helmet cut thru the air istead of my chest

Highway driving in my 1996 F150 (very square front end) I could feel the truck fight the wind much more at 70mph then at 60mph.

It's not a matter of the cars today. All cars will have a different maximal milage point depending on the engine, transmission (number of gears) and differential ratio.

state police would clean up if they dropped the limit to 55mh.

[RandyO]

the new buzz words are "peak oil"


do we all buy into the theory ?


Peronally I think is a group of politicians that have whored a group of scientists, much the same way as the global warming crowd

[ChR1s]

I commute on the Pike and often come across this spode doing 40-45 MPH in a 65 zone. Big trucks get all jammed up behind him while he idles his car down any grade. Funny thing, I glance over at the driver and see that he's smoking. Save gas money, buy more smokes!

[RandyO]

I commute on the Pike and often come across this spode doing 40-45 MPH in a 65 zone. Big trucks get all jammed up behind him while he idles his car down any grade. Funny thing, I glance over at the driver and see that he's smoking. Save gas money, buy more smokes!

I hate people that smoke while they drive

inevetably I always end up behind them when they flick their butt out the window, and the ash ends up flying into a vent in my helmet

[MissTwisties]

I hate people that smoke while they drive

inevetably I always end up behind them when they flick their butt out the window, and the ash ends up flying into a vent in my helmet

Happened to me TWICE so far this year! Fuckin arseholes...don't tell me they didn't see me behind when I've been following them for 10 minutes. To me it's just common sense to not flip a cigarette butt when you have a motorcyclist behind you!

[jeantarrou]

"mileage drops sharply at speeds above 65 as engines work harder to overcome wind resistance that rises exponentially"

Exponentially being the key word here. There are people much smarter than me that could explain it better, but as your speed increases over the optimum efficiency (generally 55 mph, modern cars are closer to 65 mph) the efficiency of your vehicle DROPS exponentially.

I have no idea how to solve this problem, but the fact is, driving fast wastes loads of gas. But if you're on 2 wheels you're wasting gas more efficiently. And don't tell anyone, but I've been getting less than 25 mpg on my RC (barely 80 miles before the fuel light comes on), with 93 octane!!!!

[hammadown]

My Saab 93 does about 30mpg average on a tank of fuel highway driving between 70-85, and a decent amount of city driving. I will continue to speed.

[joeswamp]

Man I really hope they don't do the 55mph speed limits again, I remember rejoicing when they were finally lifted.

The problem with the 55mph speed limits is that they're just so painfully low they're impossible to really enforce -- EVERYONE is speeding. So what that means is nobody knows what the real speed limit is, and you end up with this enormous variation in speeds on the highway. Pessimists are going 56 while optimists are going 80. And of course since this is the USA there are no rules about which is the slow or the fast lane.

Don't know if statistics back it up (would probably be difficult to accurately measure) but it seemed kinda dangerous to me at the time.

[Jayspeed]

Happened to me TWICE so far this year! Fuckin arseholes...don't tell me they didn't see me behind when I've been following them for 10 minutes. To me it's just common sense to not flip a cigarette butt when you have a motorcyclist behind you!

Yeah, when ever I'm smoking anything its a cigar. When its time to throw this huge butt out the window, I try and not do it even if its a car behind me for consideration. If its a motorcyclist, I'll then throw a banana peel.

[wylee]

To me it's just common sense to not flip a cigarette butt when you have a motorcyclist behind you!

How about not littering whether anyone is behind you or not?

[DuncanMoto]

The speed thing is a scam. I think milage and speed depend on how they set up the gear ratios more than aero dynamics.

I used to drive to Tennesee and back 2-3 times per year in a 1972 Porsche 914. I got 26 mpg. averaging 65 and 34mpg averaging 81.

The car was a European model with a very tall 5th gear that I could not use under 75mph.