Quote:
Originally Posted by RH77
I mean no disrepect, but is there a poll or data that the 55 limit was a "failure"? Popularity notwithstanding, it should have decreased overall consumption. If not,
I apologize in advance, with the impending data to support.
Back to DPOV: I agree with his statement. I sacrifice my 50-mille drive by 10-15 minutes to get 40mpg vs. 26. I'll stay up that much later to maximize my "loaf" time (same with longer trips). Money vs. Time. It's how much value is placed upon it.
So, I stand up and give time back for consumption and emissions -- and I'm none the poorer. Can't we all give a little back?
For most of the populace, that answer is "no". Which is where laws step-in.
RH77
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RH77,no disrespect inflicted.Your's is a noble cause if you can get your classmates to rationally debate the issue.------------- Maaaaaaaaaaaany articles were published inthe popular press with respect to the national 55-mph speed limit.Straight physics dictated that road load would be reduced,at the lower speed,and that cannot be disputed.The fly in the ointment was,that cars were not "calibrated" for the new speed,and many consumers found their cars to get "lower" mpg,in spite of the lower load.My Dodge pickup suffers from this conundrum.-----------------------What the legislators hadn't figured for,was BSFC,which could "peak" at velocities significantly higher than the 55 limit.---------------------My family was involved with Tri-State Trucking Co.,and found its rigs to "suffer" mpg loss under the new law.------------------------ Compliance was an issue,as most drivers drove 63-mph,regardless of what the posted limit was.---------------------- Some motorists literally fell asleep at the wheel,on long stretches,and died,often taking innocent nearby motorists with them.----------------------------------- Billions of dollars in man-hours were "lost"each year behind the wheel in lost productivity.------------------------- Law abiding motorists,who "impeded" speeders,"wasted" millions of gallons of fuel through momentum death,caused by velocity discrepancies,deceleration,and re-acceleration.------------------------------ People "hated"the law,and felt it an infringement on their rugged individualism and right to free choice.------------------- As mentioned,Sammy Hagar attacked it.Hollywood fought a proxy war against it.Smokey and the Bandit,The Fall Guy,Night Rider,etc.,helped perpetuate contrived notions of masculinity and rights of passage in a car culture.More recently,Demolition Man,and The Fast and the Furious have done what they could to emasculate any red-blooded American male that might consider a "green" car,or green behavior.-------------------------- If you'll dig through old CAR and DRIVER,HOT ROD,MOTOR TREND,AUTOMOBILE,AUTOWEEK magazines,you'll probably find a lot of grist for your project.-------------------------- Speed limits do matter.Rational limits may not be suited to a democracy unless there is broad-based education to go with it,and cultivation of the public mind to accept it as "the right thing to do".---------------------- If you can't find any more specific data,I probably have some dated stuff I could dig out.Let me know.-------------------------- Get ready for a good time,cause your fixin' to open a big can of worms! Good luck.------P.S. 78 no-drive days this year,and drove 15-mph under the posted limit coming to town today)no one else on the road).