Well, the only really stupid thing about that law was that the stupid Congress failed to recognize that stupid Texans would stupidly resent being required to do something that was in their own stupid self-interest and improve their own stupid bottom line.

 

Here was another aside to the 55 mph speed limit. When they first got serious about raising it back up to 65 mph it was not the environmentalists or those worried about the world supply of oil that sounded the loudest concerns. It was the American College of Surgeons who pointed out that driving 55 had reduced the seriousness of injuries and deaths. Airbags, mandatory seat belt laws and basically safer cars have compensated somewhat for the increased speeds in collisions, but the laws of physics still apply.

Back on topic however I think I live in the big truck capitol of the world. And they seem to be getting more monstrous all the time. My next truck though is going to break that trend. I want something that is not only better on gas mileage but also easier to maneuver and park.

 

I drive fast. Thats pretty much it.

It may cost me more.

It may cost more deaths to go faster.

You can call me an asshole, but I'd rather drive fast and pay more, and have people die... than drive slow.

 

And it's not just that higher speeds equal more serious accidents. It's that the variation in speeds on a typical highway will be greater...because some people will drive 55, some will be driving 65, 75, 85, 105. That results in more conflicts between vehicles, more collisions, and more serious consequences when collisions occur.

 

Here's something kind of ironic now that I think about it. The 55 mph speed limit was as unpopular in Wyoming as it was in Texas. As a matter of fact the legislature made defying it a very popular political play. It took years and thousands of speeding tickets to finally get residents to comply. Then after everyone had pretty much gotten used to it the feds repealed it. Looking back that was a pretty big mistake especially with the prices of gas we are looking at now.

Who repealed that law anyway? I can't seem to remember at the moment.

 

I don't remember either..I think it went away in the early 90s. But it follows the usual pattern. Concern about our dependence on Middle East oil waxes and wanes, and when it wanes, we get rid of energy conservation programs, programs to promote alternative fuels, etc. Americans just don't want to be inconvenienced.

I just looked it up...it was repealed in 1995, during the Clinton Administration.

 

Clinton Tell me it ain't so. Looking back that is one mistake I think we can hang on his administration then.

And I agree that we Americans are very lazy and short sighted when it comes to the way we live. But I was one that have been consistently saying since the 1970'[s that we are vulnerable when it comes to our oil addiction and really need to do something about that. But even with the negative effects we are seeing now, I don't see any really to solve the problems.

Here's one thing I am convinced of. If Americans suddenly started demanding change to biofuels and alternative energy sources the price of oil and gasoline would begin to fall instantly to try and pacify us again. But this time I think we should be wise to that trick and really make the necessary changes.

 

Nice words, so market does dictate the price when it suits you, right??

 

Absolutely not. This would just prove once again how much the price of oil in manipulated. If we even looked like we were serious about going to alternative fuel sources the monopoly would manipulate the price downward to keep us from advancing to alternative fuels until they are in a position to provide them and continue their monopoly.

 

From the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety


4. What's the history of speed limit laws in the United States? Speed limit laws, which date to 1901, traditionally have been the responsibility of the states. Before 1973, when Congress responded to oil shortages by directing the U.S. Department of Transportation to withhold highway funds from states that did not adopt a maximum speed limit of 55 mph, speed limits on rural interstates in most states ranged between 65 and 75 mph, with the majority of states setting rural interstate speed limits of 70 mph.7 In urban areas, most states maintained 55 mph speed limits before the national maximum speed limit was established.
By March 1974, all states adopted the 55 mph national maximum speed limit. As concerns about fuel availability and costs faded, however, and speeds began to gradually climb on U.S. highways, Congress in 1987 allowed states to increase speed limits on rural interstates to 65 mph.
The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 repealed the maximum speed limit, allowing states to set their own limits for the first time since 1974. Many states quickly moved to raise speed limits on both rural and urban interstates and limited access roads. As of September 2005, 31 states had raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some portion of their roadway systems.

http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/speed_limits.html

 

Do you know what you posted before??? That is exactly how supply and demand works.

 

No it isn't. That's how price gouging and manipulation works. And that is what has always driven the price of oil. Not the supply and not the demand. Simply how much the oil companies can wring out of consumers before they begin to rebel. Then lower the price for a little while before they jack it up again.

And when you watch they make more profit when oil falls than they do when it goes up because the price of gasoline does not fall at the same percentage as the price of oil.

 

Okay, you get an "F" in economics 101.

 

Not from a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

Well you will from the School of Economics at Tenguy U.

 

Then allow me to re-phrase. I have not received an F from an accredited source.

 

Are you implying that I ain't got credit???


I do too, Visa, Mastercard, Lowes & Target

 

No I'm implying that I have a much better grasp of the economics of oil than you do.

 

Oh, well at least you think so, I guess that makes sense to you, doesn't it?

 

The typical drag force approximation is D=1/4*A*v^2, integrate with distance and you get the energy etc etc...

The other interesting physical problem with plug-ins is thermodynamics. Every time you convert energy to another form of energy, ie heat to electricity, you lose a TON of energy. This is especially true with chemical power plants which cannot achieve an efficiency >40%, and thats a stretch as is. Plug-ins don't save the environment they just shift the problem. A cheap efficient car like a Corrola, is probably better in the short run as far as energy and cost.

Of course you can pay for guilt free driving by buying a Prius.



Slick.