So does anyone drive 55mph?

[woodsteach]

Now, I'm not as old (expirenced) as some of you so feel free to correct me, but I've done some thinking about fuel supply etc... and the way I remember it.

1970's low fuel supply = high gas prices = long lines at the pump.  Speed limit was over 55mph

1980's Change the speed limit to conserve fuel

1990's Oil prices lower than low,  Oil pumps(wells) in western Kansas and Oklahoma were shut down b/c it cost more to operate them than the revenue they made.  Isn't this when the speed limits were raised?  Supposedly all the cars got better mpg so it was ok.

2005-2008 Now supply is low?!  Prices are high!!!  What if the speed limit was reduced again?  Would it help?  I know that I get better mpg at 55-60 than 65-75mph. 

All right all you highly intelligent ones, enlighten me

woodsteach

[OneWithWood]

Well if nothing else, the revenue from speeding tickets would go up 

I have discovered that when I drive 55-60 going to Indianapolis (45-50 miles) I get there just as fast as when I drove 65-70.  So now I just set the cruise on 55, turn up the tunes and relax.  Cruise control helps a bunch.  When I drove vehicles that did not have cruise driving 55, or anything less than 70, was difficult (this wear a litle background 'I can't drive 55' music wafts in)

[woodsteach]

Well if nothing else, the revenue from speeding tickets would go up 


Exactly, I believe in Kansas they TRIPPLED the fines on moving violations, supposedly to slow people down, or generate more revenue you decide.


 (this wear a litle background 'I can't drive 55' music wafts in)

I was thinking the same thing about the song.   

woodsteach

[Furby]

I belive there is a federal "green" speed and is either 60 or 65.
I can't currently find any info on it though.
I know I get better milage at 70 than at 65 with my old Explorer, but 60 and 70 are about the same.


I will say for a FACT that folks ARE driving slower now that fuel prices are through the roof.
I spend enough time on the road, that I as well as some of the fellows I work with, have noticed the difference big time!

[Lurcherman]

From what I understand, it is not so much of a problem with the suppy of oil - there is plenty of it - but it's speculation and high demand from China and India that is driving the price so high.

[Don_Papenburg]

Driving slow on roads designed for 75-80 mph causes hywayhipnosis. I tend to fall asleep driving long straight streaches of road . Gotta go fast and get there before I get tired.  I have been tring to drive slow ,45-50 localy but my milage has not increased.

[zopi]

If I drive the monster diesel pickup..I tend to drive slow...wind resistance increases with the square of the speed...and it has the aerodynamics of a cinder block...

as I usually ride the bike...I generally move on out...either out of the need 4 speed (I'll grow up eventually)
or self defense..If I am moving faster than you it's *DanG difficult to hit me...

idiots around here...

[Brucer]

From what I understand, it is not so much of a problem with the suppy of oil - there is plenty of it - but it's speculation and high demand from China and India that is driving the price so high.

Sure, there's plenty of oil -- but that doesn't have anything to do with supply. Supply is a measure of how fast we (i.e., the world) can process and deliver it. Right now, demand exceeds supply and the gap is widening. Supply has essentially flattened out. Demand is growing -- partly due to a growing use of oil in China and India.

As for 55 (90 km/hr), that's still the speed limit on many secondary highways in BC. On level roads and steady speeds, driving at 55 will consume about 80% of the fuel that driving at 60 will. Throw in a lot of hills and a lot of rapid acceleration, and the difference is a lot less.

.If I am moving faster than you it's *DanG difficult to hit me...

Naw, all I gotta do is slam on the brakes when you're right on my tail .

[Ron Wenrich]

I saw where some of the big trucking firms are starting to lower the governor speeds for their company trucks.  Conway lowered their maximum speed from 65 to 62 and expect to save $13 million.  Another trucker lowered his speed and saves $200/week.  Neither one said they had lost that much time for delivery.  Conway claims only 10 minutes.  But, that's for East Coast driving where there are lots of stops and not a great deal of overnight hauls.

But, some truckers still see that if they go really fast they can get an extra haul.  That means more money in, but they end up paying it for the extra fuel. 

I'm starting to see slower traffic, but I'm also starting to notice that the highways are not as congested at certain times.  My wife has started to car pool, and she's driving a 2002 Saturn that gets 38 mpg. 

[stonebroke]

I had a conway driver complain that now he cannot get his route done. So the people out in the boonies away from the city get poorer service.

Stonebroke

[Paschale]

I go 80 anytime I'm on the highway.     I know I'm burning more fuel, but I can't STAND going slow on the highway.   

I have tested it out, and for me to change from 80 to 70 I only save about two miles to the gallon.  That's not a significant enough change for me to change my driving habits, and going 55 would make driving intolerable for me.  We all make choices, I suppose.

What I do plan to do is to upgrade my spark plugs.  My brother changed to some of those iridium plugs, and he added a whopping five miles to the gallon!

[Toolman]

I drive for Old Dominion Freight. Company just lowered our speed from 68mph to 65 mph. I drive dedicated run every night from Harrisburg, Pa. to Lexington, Va. and back via I-81. It takes me approx 7 minutes longer each way. About 15 more minutes a night over all. Beilieve it or not I save only about 1 gal. fuel. It's still a savings when you look at the big picture.

[Furby]

Are you hourly or by the mile/load Toolman?
If you are hourly, it's only a savings to the company if you are making less than $16-18 an hour.
As the cost of fuel keeps rising, so will the savings though.

[Toolman]

I get paid 49.5 cents a mile. I am losing money obviously per hour, but, if fuel is being saved, then it's a worthwhile sacrifice.

[sawdust]

I was on the road after midnight this morning and the only rig not doing 55 was a Coke truck, he must have been late for somethin. Diesel was not his concern.

[Tom]

I filled up with 10%methonal, gasoline, and found that my mileage dropped from 19.8 mpg to 16 mpg. I'm not so sure that it is worth it, especially with the fear of damaging my engine. 

[Ironwood]

I have noticed folks driving slower for sure.

 Ironwood

[Ron Wenrich]

I talked to a guy that drove the PA turnpike on Saturday night.  He went from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh in a camper (8 Mpg) and a distance of 150 miles.  He said he saw no more than 50 cars.  The service areas have said that business is really down.  So, maybe they aren't going 55, but in this case, they aren't even going.

I just started using that ethanol blend.  I haven't found any decrease in milage.

[ScottAR]

I have since the increases...  I've also took it easy on the throttle on
takeoff.  I've been rewarded with 21mpg of 75% in town driving out
of my 7.3 diesel.  It's really happy around 1800-1900 rpm. 

All of the local roads are 55mph or lower.  I rarely venture to the
interstate, especially with the truck. 

[SwampDonkey]

I go the speed limit, never in a rush to get anywhere. On the back roads I often go 5-10 km/hr below speed limit. I live on a dead end road and I often go 60-70 km/hr (40-45 mph). Some people tare by here going 90 km/hr I think, to go nowhere and several times a day. Just to burn fuel as fast as they can I guess. 

[Modat22]

I moved from the city to the country to avoid the fast irritating pace of the city. So I don't really get in a hurry at anytime including driving. I just hate the proctologists riding my bumper because I'm doing the speed limit.