Driving 55 m.p.h. is looking pretty good

[RedEarth]

........ September 23, 2005 edition.......

Driving 55 m.p.h. is looking pretty good

The Monitor's View


......

One energy analyst, John Dowd of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, told a Senate panel this month that "if, as a country, we were to obey speed limits for the next two months, we would probably conserve more fuel than will be lost by the refinery outages. Reducing speeds from 70 m.p.h. to 60 m.p.h., for example, improves fuel efficiency by 15 percent. If Americans want to know what they can do to limit gasoline price inflation, the answer is simple: slow down."

Consuming oil is so integrated into daily lives that it can be difficult to alter individual habits for a collective benefit. Since the 1970s, the nation has achieved much in energy conservation. But wisely taking such steps as avoiding many car trips, using air conditioning less frequently, and not accelerating a car so quickly are actions that still need to become habits.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0923/p08s01-comv.html


Drive 55 Conservation Project

http://www.drive55.org/pn/index.php

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. The Car Talk guys have been saying that for years.

I love when they are proved to be correct.

[redqueen]

3. offtopic, but...

love your avatar :)

[greatauntoftriplets]

10. Thank you!!

So do I.

[whistle]

2. It did increase fuel efficiency when the 55 mph speed limit was

...strictly enforced nationally

[Warpy]

4. I would be delighted to see it

because raising it to 75 here has resulted in yahoos doing 90 in the city, who knows what out in the boonies. They just don't like to slow down, ever.

Even at 75, doing the most minor correction to avoid a swerving car in another lane or a piece of road junk in your own can cause vehicles with a high center of gravity to go out of control and roll. It's just not safe for most cars.

The problem out here is that the interstates pass through hundreds of miles of pretty boring country sometimes. Drivers clamor for the illusion of getting it over significantly quicker by raising speed limits and then doing whatever they think they can get away with.

[TheWraith]

12. What kind of fucknut drives at 90 anywhere?

I live out in the country, and the most I've ever tested my car at is 73, because I felt dangerously uncomfortable going any faster than that. At least out here, most people adhere to the speed limit. (Although it seems like every single one that doesn't manages to find their way up to my rear bumper.)

[4dsc]

13. I drive 90 at times

I sometimes drive 90 but don't recommend it to the inexperienced driver and there are many on the road.. I have drive fast on our interstates for about 3 decades now and have no problem with it other than the law!!

[TheWraith]

16. Well, an interstate is a little different. Still, I find it hard to fathom needing to go that fast.

And if you're willing to burn that much fuel, why not just pay a little more and take a plane?

[kestrel91316]

17. "What kind of fucknut drives at 90 anywhere?"

Half the population of Southern California, for starters.......

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. AAA says every 5 mph over 60 mph = $0.20 more per gallon at the pump.

I've started leaving a little earlier, and driving 5 mph under the limit on highways, and stay to the right so people can pass. I strictly stick to the speed limit when I'm not on the freeway.

It's kind of creepy driving 50 mph on the Washington Beltway, as people whiz by at 70-80 mph. :scared:

[Zywiec]

6. There are other simple methods as well

If everyone would keep their tires pressured correctly, they would save about 3%. Keeping a clean air filter saves about 10%. Of course it's the little things that are so hard for some people.

[Strelnikov_]

7. Reduction To 55 mph Could Reduce Oil Consumption By 3.4%

Recycled screed follows

++++++++++++

The following report estimates a 3.4% reduction in oil consumption.

The more significant impact is that it would reduce transport fuel consumption by 5.1% which is critical considering that the current shortage is in refined product.

Saving Oil in a Hurry: Measures for Rapid Demand Restraint in Transport
International Energy Agency
28 February 2005

http://www.objectfarm.org/Activities/Publications/SolareWeltwirtschaft/Energiekrise/IEA-Saving_Oil_In_A_Hurry_2005.pdf

Reductions in speeds during a fuel crisis can be implemented in many ways. For example, in the United States, during the 1970’s fuel crisis, a national speed limit of 55 mph (90 km/hr) was implemented. Initially, this policy was very effective, primarily because of altruistic behaviour and a determined enforcement regime.

The tables below are from the report and summarize fuel savings from speed reduction to 55 mph.


Table 2-35: Consensus estimate of effect of reducing speed limit to 90 km/hr

US /Canada

Thousand barrels saved per day 727 (672 US 2001 data)
Percent transport fuel saved 6.2% (5.1% @ US 13.1 M bbl/dy)
Percent total fuel saved 4.7% (3.4% @ US 19.5 M bbl/dy)


Table 2-29: Fuel Economy by Speed, based on ORNL
Percent Change In Fuel Economy

55–65 mph 11.0%
65–75 mph 17.7%
55–75 mph 30.6%

Note: Based on Model years 1988–97 automobiles and light trucks, based on tests of 9 vehicles.

[tech3149]

9. I'm no fan of 55mph, but realize it will help.

Unfortunaly, there are many driving habits that could have greater effect. If people could get past the jackrabbit starts and planting themeselves on the other guy's bumper, they could probably save another 10-12%. Adopt some of the ideas of the hypermilers.

I dropped out of the economic madness that this country has become a few years ago. Since then, I've done everything I can to stretch my pennies as far I can. A big part of that has been cutting fuel costs. My 98 Honda has a published mileage figures of 32/37 mpg. I modified my driving style and can regulary get 40 mpg around town. The biggest determining factor there is traffic and routing. I've only done a few long distance trips, but even then I could keep the mileage above the published figure for local driving with highway speeds above 80mph.

I'm not posting to blow my own horn, it's just that I want people to know that they can do a lot better even if the corporate world doesn't give them many options. It takes time and effort, but I figure it's worth it for many reasons.

Hell, just keep your tires inflated will bump your mileage a few percent.

[frazzled]

8. It has to be a law, though, as opposed to a choice ...

I don't have to be convinced about the fuel savings in going 55 as opposed to 75 ... with continual digital feedback from the energy consumption computer on our Prius, we can physically see it. We can rack up 56 miles per gallon going 45 ... it goes down to an average of 46 miles per gallon at 75. That's a 20% difference.

That said, when you are driving on a highway where everyone else is going 75, it is unsafe to go as slow as 55. So we need to make these speed limits posted and enforced, not just self-imposed. I think that's not so likely to happen, however. People were not so fond of those 55 mph speed limits.

[heidler1]

11. There were two letters to the editor advising that going the posted speed limit was more dangerous,

while driving in other than the Right Hand lane, than exceeding the speed limit by 10 MPH. The speed limit is 65MPH in this case. Is this true? Some insurance Co. might have this data. What I found on the Internet seemed biased to me.

One guy suggested driving three abreast to deliberately block speeders, this was done some tines in the 70s, Pretty foolish I'd say. In CA. it's legal to cruise in the left lane, but most drivers either don't know it or pretend not to know.

One time a TV station called me up because of a Letter To the E. I'd written on this subject and all of the letters it generated so I took them for a ride at the speed limit to check out tail gaiters who were a big part of the problem. The tailgaters would ride my rear bumper until the photographer put his camera up to the back window and then they would back off. They ran the video on their news that evening

If the 55MPH came up for a vote I'd approve of it.

[CRF450]

14. Not all cars get their best fuel milage at 55.

Especially newer vehicles that are coming with 5 or 6 speed transmissions, thus being geared taller, they can achieve better fuel milage faster than 55mph. My 01 Trans Am is geared so tall that I cant go into 6th gear intill between 60 and 65 or I'll lug the engine.

[seemunkee]

18. Transmission gearing and engine power curves

Have a lot to do with where your car is most efficient.

[CRF450]

20. Yup...

And being that it has a v8, it has lots of low end torq, so it doesn't work as hard as a less powerful engine to acheive more speed, and still get pretty decent fuel milage. My 94 v6 camaro on the other hand had a 4 speed auto, so at 65mph, it runs around 2000rpm, and around 1600rpm at 55mph. It had a good amount of low torq for a 160hp engine, if I still had it, I would be curious of how the fuel milage would compar to the T/A if it was running the same rpm's at just under 65mph. I never got anymore than 27mpg out of that car even when I tried going 55mph, than again I never took it on the interstate like with the T/A.

I'v heard from many owners of 95+ f-bodies with a 3.8 v6 getting more 30mpg from the auto's. Those are very good motors BTW.

[Chemical Bill]

15. When I drive with biodiesel in my tank...

I'm saving more than any gasoline powered car could ever hope to. I don't think a 55 limit is a good thing, as we as a nation have shown that we will disobey. It only serves to produce more speeding tickets and higher insurance rates. The speed limit went back up by popular demand, remember?

Bill

[ramapo]

19. Not negotiable

Been there, done that.

Americans bitched and moaned when the 55mph limit was in force. It saved lives and fuel. It was yet another example of the government imposing unreasonable limitations on our freedom.

55 definitely saves fuel. I just drive out to Chicago and back from NJ. Going out we took our time, averaging 60-65mph and got better than 30mph with our Passat wagon. The return trip was made at around 75mph with a noticeable drop in efficiency.

It was a good policy. It would be a good policy. We'll see how long it takes to return to good policy.

[Captain Angry]

21. I choose routes that let me go 40.

I try to leave early and avoid having the stop/go + high speeds of the normal roads. My hybrid loves 40mph. RPM under 2000, and mpg clicks upward.

I just wish there was better mass transit. For me to get to work, it would take two hours, each way, on 4 different buses each way. OR, I can drive and be there in 10-15 minutes.