Hillary pushes for reinstatement of national 55 mph limit

[vad]

May 24, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - In a surprise move yesterday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton called for "most of the country" to return to a speed limit of 55 mph in an effort to slash fuel consumption.

"The 55-mile speed limit really does lower gas usage. And wherever it can be required, and the people will accept it, we ought to do it," Clinton said at the National Press Club.

Before sounding off on the benefits of a lower speed limit, Clinton called for a combination of tax incentives, the use of more ethanol-based fuel and a $50 billion fund for new energy research to cut the consumption of foreign oil 50 percent by 2025.

She also pushed for half of all the nation's gas stations to have ethanol pumps by 2015, and for every gas station to have them by 2025.

Source

 

[Bryanccfshr]

I am not compltetly against a nationwide reinstatement of 55 mph speeed limits, not only for energy but for safety.

As for ethanol, we all know it;s a fakse hope. The future is Hydrogen fuel which its processing is powered by nuclear power. I am talking fusion here.

The 55 MPH speed limit would put the public on alert and provide a good reason for public pressure for an alternative to our current selection of energy sources. Ethano is the current politicaly conveninet alternative, the issue I have with it is it's net output which is not remarkable.

As for politicians by name and party. They are all scum and play alot of games. I think of all of them as our public Lackeys.

 

[Intelman34]

55mph speed limit is insane. On an open, two lane freeway with light traffic, do I really need to go 55mph? Nope. 75mph is more like it.

As vehicles gain more gears, I doubt the difference in fuel consumption is as much as it used to be.

Around Milwaukee, the speed limit is 50mph is some places on the freeway. I might as well take the side streets. I guess thats why I like living out in the country. Our side streets are 55mph

 

[Steve S]

The same politicians are reelected over

and over.

 

[windnsea00]

I doubt that will happen. I can only imagine the drive thru the central valley of CA (I-5) at 55mph. It's slow and boring enough at 80mph! Might as well reinstate 3 speed autos and 4 speed manuals to cut down the price of the car too.

 

[rpn453]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Intelman34:
As vehicles gain more gears, I doubt the difference in fuel consumption is as much as it used to be.

---

The physics of fluid mechanics is independent of the number of gears your vehicle has: power required to overcome aerodynamic drag still increases proportionally to the cube of velocity.

I would welcome lower speed limits here. I definitely wouldn't have said that 5 years ago, but I guess I'm getting old!

Any mandating of ethanol fuel would be ridiculous though. If it's an economically feasible alternative, it will happen naturally.

 

[Shannow]

Most people who drive for economy skip a few gears from bottom to top.

rowing your way to 60MPH is pretty wasteful.

CVT does make sense, 'though

 

[Gary Allan]

I say let the cost of fuel be you speed limiter. I don't drive fast just for the sake of getting somewhere 5 minutes earlier. If someone wants to spend (eventually) $5/gallon gas like it's burning a hole in their pocket ..it's their pocket. You can get a car that gets 30-35 mpg or more @70 mph. People just have to buy them.

Again, if the money wouldn't just disappear into a blackhole, taxing it would reduce usage. Personal transportation is just so integrated into the economy in general that everyone is tap dancing to figure on where to toss the hot potato.

Prepare for interesting times.

 

[keith]

If 55mph is good, wouldn't 40mph be better? Great fuel economy and safety. Mandatory crash helmets in automobiles is a good idea too, it's for our own collective good.

Ban car radios too, very distracting. I'm so happy our friends in DC are caring for us. Otherwise, I'd have to think for myself.

 

[kkat]

I think only a very few would accept 55 again, I now have changed my driving habits and have also started driving at the posted speed limit ( I have average around 3 MPG more since I started)and Im the slowest guy on the road, I set the cruise control at 65 and people are passing me left and right. I dont think people would/could drive 55 anymore at least not on the highways.

 

[oilyriser]

55 mph? That's Hillarious. What if you have a lawyer with you in the car, and he's billing $300/hour on the way to court? What if you have three passengers in the car, who's time is each worth $10 per hour? What if you need to drive 800 miles in one day, and 55 mph would make it into a two day trip, with extra costs for food and hotel?


As for the ethanol everywhere idea, what about the people in Alaska? How much energy will it take to ship the ethanol 2000 miles from the Canadian prairies where it's produced?

I already go 50-55 mph when I have time to svae fuel. Otherwise, I go fast.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Did anyone hear the crux of her speech? I did (I know, I need to get a life!). That story really leaves out the most important details.

She gave a speech about Ethanol and it's wonders. Translated: she presented a PSA (Public Service Announcement) to the National Press Club on how to reduce enegry in our homes and cars. Quoting Hillary: "Look for ways to weatherize your own home to look at, you know, windows and leaks."

When asked about the 55MPH limit, Hillary said:
"The 55 mile speed limit really does lower gas usage, and wherever it can be required and the people will accept it, we ought to do it. But there are other things that we ought to do it. At every gas station, there ought to be a little sign which says, "Have you checked to see if your tires are inflated to the right pressure?"

This sounds like something that Jimmy Carter would say, or even Public Service Announcement would utter after the evening newscast.

She also mentioned about how the use of flourecent lights would save lots of energy.

Her speech was mostly marketing for Al Gore's new movie. Coincidence? I think not.

The remaining parts of her appearance was pure politics for her party in this political year. We need this like we need Jerry Springer.

Oh yeah, she voted against ethanol before voting for it: http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060523/NEWS/60523014/1001/NEWS


And, yes, people are interested in her running for President: all 20 of them. I'm all for Hillary and her speed-reducing ways, that's why I slapped the bumper sticker on my car for to show my support for her: "Hillary in 2040". Go to HillaryLater.com to find out more.

 

[Benzadmiral]

If we want to save energy, we ought to dump that Daylight Saving crap. The "idea" behind it was that people would use less energy -- lighting, I guess -- when sunset came later.

Excuse me? How's that again? Do our leg-is-late-ors think we don't turn on lights in our homes until sunset? ("Sun's goin' down, Martha! Fire up the floor lamp!")

We use *more* power with DS because the sun is up longer and *our air conditioners have more heat to pump away*! Look at the state of Arizona. They know they have enough sunlight already -- no need for an extra hour of roasting from April to October!

If we have to do it, do the DS thing in the winter. That way another hour of (admittedly weak) sunlight is falling on our homes, thus reducing the need to burn heating oil.

As for a new 55 mph limit, we don't need any more nanny-state regulations. But a major PSA campaign modeled on the anti-smoking campaigns, showing how much money you waste on fuel when you drive 75 vs. 60 -- now that might penetrate some brains.

 

[Matt_S]

I can tell you exactly what would happen in MI if they re-enacted the 55 mph limit: 8 million people would go from mostly law-abiding drivers to speeders overnight. Nobody would change their behavior, the police would just start writing bigger tickets. It would go over like a lead balloon. I suspect a lot of the country would react the same way.

I'm all for Ethanol, but we need to let the market work here. If the government wants to promote it, let them provide incentives, not mandates.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Hillary!

Make it stop!

Please make it stop!

You're killing me!

Stop please!

C'mon stop!

Ow, ow, ow !

Someone make her stop!

 

[Russ300H]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gary Allan:
I say let the cost of fuel be you speed limiter. I don't drive fast just for the sake of getting somewhere 5 minutes earlier. If someone wants to spend (eventually) $5/gallon gas like it's burning a hole in their pocket ..it's their pocket. You can get a car that gets 30-35 mpg or more @70 mph. People just have to buy them.

Prepare for interesting times.

---

Except the problem is that people who waste fuel increase demand and drive up the price for everybody, so it not just their money they are wasting.

Forget 55, I would be happy if the eighteen wheelers would just do the speed limit.

A little less demand on diesel would sure help heating oil prices.

BTW: I'm no fan of Hillary, but I heard the speech on C-Span and what she said was far from proposing a 55 mph limit.

 

[Mitch Alsup]

I propose, insteead of a 55 MPH limit, a 20 MPG limit.

Basic Idea, you can drive as fast as you want as long as your vehicle is getting 20 MPG or more.

During the standard EPA testing of each vehicle 'kind' there is sufficient data to determine at which maximum speed that vehicle will attain a 20 MPG consumption rate. This vehicle will not be allowed to drive at greater than that limit.

Alternately, a fuel flow metering system could be used that causes only enough fuel to be allowed into the engine so as to average at least 20 MPG at any speed above 30 MPH.

So, if you buy a car with great gas milage and sleek areodynamics, you get to drive 95 MPH and if you buy a 8,000 pound truck with a V10, you get to drive 30 MPH.

In other words, If you want the fleet to average 20 MPG, build into the system the incentives to cause people to choose vehicles that get 20 MPG+ and reward those choices, and penalize the alternate choices.

 

[Matt89]

Mitch, I like your idea from a technical standpoint, but I see a lot of rear-end collisions in its future.

 

[kanling]

Just raise the gas tax to reflect the true social cost and all will work itself out. Artificially low speed limits, CAFE, hybrid tax breaks are all complicated, inefficient ways to reach the true goal and are inherently unfair.

 

[Winston]

A little education goes a long way. How about mandating mpg gauges in all cars?

I heard this morning that they are thinking of raising the speed limit on some roads in Texas to 80mph?!?!

I think the current speed limit setuation is pretty good. 55 on some more conjested freeways, and up to 70 on the more boring sections of highway. (I5 between SF and LA)

Other than a little education. Let the free market do its thing.

BTW I like Hillary. She is very smart. Ever read about the commencement address that she gave when she graduated college. It was all off the cuff and brilliant. A lot of Hilliary bashing is blatant sexism. oops, sorry about the politics.