I can't drive 55... John Warner rant

[9dreizig]

I can't belive these *********s in DC are thinking of the 55 mph again!!!What can we do to stop it ?

[fxeditor]

that will mean the 998's will be sold in the U.S. with an 85 mph speedometer!

[svandamme]

PM me for UK 200mph or Belgian 300 kmh speedo's

[varmint]

[GothingNC]

It's the truckers that are behind it.

http://www.newsobserver.com/nation_world/story/1139231.html

Among those joining the call for a national speed limit are truckers, who've been hammered by diesel fuel costs expected to reach $135 billion this year, $22 billion more than last year.

[Zeke]

I think last time the truckers were saying that 55 wasn't their optimum. The gears in an OTR tractor don't like 55 last I heard. They once claimed that 65 was the most efficient speed on level terrain with no head wind.

What do I know, I don't drive truck except my PU which does much better at 55. I'm driving about 60 these days, but I pretty much have always used the 3rd lane on SoCal freeways and kept the speeds down. Most of the time that's a moot point.

I could live with a national 55 speed limit. If I want to go fast, I'll find a place and time to do that and I do. Commuters who drive 10 miles to their destination would arrive within less than a minute under clear conditions. With traffic signals and such, it's probably a wash.

Don't get excited by the drivel.

[Zeke]

BTW, "Myth Busters" on TV did a segment on tailgating behind a big rig. You had to be within 3 feet to get real gas savings, for what that's worth.

I can see about a 15% gain by driving 55 instead of 65 in open air in the PU. For fairness, I have to state that I have a 1989 350 Chevy with the throttle body injection. One year newer and I would have EFI.

A newer EFI might not be the same as my own results.

[Jim Richards]

Warner must be suffering from dementia...thinking he's back in the '70's with the OPEC oil crisis.

[trekkor]

Speed limit for trucks and car with trailers has been 55 for a long time anyway.

Most of my freeway driving is to the track with trailer...Cruise set to 55.


KT

[john70t]

Truckers are still driving large bricks. Remember Richard Petty and how NASCAR discovered areodynamics?

Either no one has designed, built, and offered for sale an areodynamics package, or a lot more people haven't bought them.
What this world needs is someone to design a cheap retrofit for a retractable door package that conforms to standard close-quarters dock-loading criteria....mabye something that slides along the sides to create a wedge. [freebee].


But still, an average car at 70mph still gets 2/3rds the mileage as a car at 55mph
(20mpg vs 30mpg), but nobody drives 70mph anymore.

Ask granny about recycling scraps for the war effort and the sacrifices they made back in the 40's, and you might be suprised that this month's version of Malibu Barbie wasn't on her list of priorities.
What is a president supposed to do when at war during an energy crisis?

[Danny_Ocean]

[john70t]

Bingo! It only took....how many years after Neil Armstrong?

[Aerkuld]

If people want to save gas why don't they just decide to drive 55mph? There's nothing stopping them doing that now with a 65 or 70 mph limit in place.

If you do, please stay in the right lane though!

[john70t]

Michigan was "consisiderate" enough to put up "minimum speed limit 55mph" signs.
(btw: I do drive under the speed limit in the right hand lane, and make considerations due to traffic conditions, partially by choice).

[john70t]

Why high-school traffic schools can't make a video game of driver-insticts to real-world situations is beyond me. The USA is supposed to be a 1st world nation.
Give 'em a couple beers, and some friends watching, and re-test. Save lives.

As an anecedote, I actually failed the driving test of my license.
The instructor took me through rush hour traffic downtown during student move-in, and kept shoving the rule book in my face during lane changes/etc. saying "read this back to me". After 20+ years of driving, haven't caused a single accident.

[porsche4life]

Sorry but 55 would never work again out here. Its at least 20 miles to go ANYWHERE. No onw would slow down and there would just be a few more tickets written. If they want to go to that in areas like Cali. Power to em. but in some parts of the country its just not sensible. Cant imagine living in some place that is truly remote... If people need to save gas they will slow down. That is their choice. I can afford gas therefore I would like to be able to cover some ground.

[9dreizig]

Of course these are the same *********s who are riding in their private jets telling us what is best for us... I commute from Reno to the bay area every week.. 55 would kill me, I keep it to 70 in the A4 and get around 28mpg...
The socialists like to hold up europe as our example of living life the correct way,,the Autobahn doesn't have a speed limit...

[john70t]

Ants following lines. That is what the national highway grid system looks like from outer space.

The equations are purely mathmatical.

[Pazuzu]

Originally Posted by 9dreizig

I can't belive these *********s in DC are thinking of the 55 mph again!!!What can we do to stop it ?

I can't believe that you are so worried that you feel the need to (a) swear about it and (b) commission a group of sportscar owners to stop it.

I mean, come on...do you really expect this to go beyond the "tail puffing" stage?

Some people need to redirect their emotions...

[9dreizig]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

I can't believe that you are so worried that you feel the need to (a) swear about it and (b) commission a group of sportscar owners to stop it.

I mean, come on...do you really expect this to go beyond the "tail puffing" stage?

Some people need to redirect their emotions...

I've seen it on three networks,, my guess is the liberal press will latch on to it and it will get legs.... let's not forget it's nothing but a poorly disguised tax hike.