RepubliKKKan senator calls for 55 MPH national speed limit.

WASHINGTON - An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and, in turn possibly ease fuel prices.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit. Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.
...
Warner cited studies that showed the 55 mph speed limit saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2 percent of the country's highway fuel consumption, while avoiding up to 4,000 traffic deaths a year.
"Given the significant increase in the number of vehicles on America's highway system from 1974 to 2008, one could assume that the amount of fuel that could be conserved today is far greater," Warner wrote Bodman.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080703/ap_on_go_co/warner_speed_limit

"V for Vendicar" wrote in news:Nadbk.13978$Mc.9820@read1.cgocable.net:

WASHINGTON - An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and, in turn possibly ease fuel prices.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to look into what speed limit would provide optimum gasoline efficiency given current technology. He said he wants to know if the administration might support efforts in Congress to require a lower speed limit. Congress in 1974 set a national 55 mph speed limit because of energy shortages caused by the Arab oil embargo. The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.
..
Warner cited studies that showed the 55 mph speed limit saved 167,000 barrels of oil a day, or 2 percent of the country's highway fuel consumption, while avoiding up to 4,000 traffic deaths a year.
"Given the significant increase in the number of vehicles on America's highway system from 1974 to 2008, one could assume that the amount of fuel that could be conserved today is far greater," Warner wrote Bodman.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080703/ap_on_go_co/warner_speed_limit

Point 1 John Warner can call himself whatever he wants but he is no Republican.
Point 2 The feeb is retiring.
Frank

"alanmc95210@yahoo.com" wrote:

Eeyore wrote: V for Vendicar wrote: WASHINGTON - An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and, in turn possibly ease fuel prices.
DIMWIT.
Cars with smaller engines and manual tramsmissions would fix that.
CRUSH ALL SUVs !
Graham
With smaller cars, gasoline would be relatively cheaper. With relatively cheaper gasoline, people would drive more- pushing up gasoline consumption.

False presumption. Although they might be tempted to do so.
Simple. Gradually add more tax to gasoline as in Europe to suppress demand and use the funds to maintain the and improve highways instead of using other taxes.
There is fundamentally no other long term option.
Graham

"Eeyore" wrote

Cars with smaller engines and manual tramsmissions would fix that.

CVT automatics produce the best results.

Eeyore wrote:

"alanmc95210@yahoo.com" wrote:
Eeyore wrote: V for Vendicar wrote: WASHINGTON - An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and, in turn possibly ease fuel prices.
DIMWIT.
Cars with smaller engines and manual tramsmissions would fix that.
CRUSH ALL SUVs !
Graham
With smaller cars, gasoline would be relatively cheaper. With relatively cheaper gasoline, people would drive more- pushing up gasoline consumption.
False presumption. Although they might be tempted to do so.
Simple. Gradually add more tax to gasoline as in Europe to suppress demand and use the funds to maintain the and improve highways instead of using other taxes.

Most states already use a gasoline tax to fund road maintenance here. Been there, done that.
daestrom

V for Vendicar wrote:

"Eeyore" wrote Cars with smaller engines and manual tramsmissions would fix that.
CVT automatics produce the best results.

No, they're lossy too. They help the *engine* operate most efficienctly but that's far from the whole story.
Why do you think there are so few of them ?
Graham

daestrom wrote:

Eeyore wrote: "alanmc95210@yahoo.com" wrote: Eeyore wrote: V for Vendicar wrote: WASHINGTON - An influential Republican senator suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and, in turn possibly ease fuel prices.
DIMWIT.
Cars with smaller engines and manual tramsmissions would fix that.
CRUSH ALL SUVs !
Graham
With smaller cars, gasoline would be relatively cheaper. With relatively cheaper gasoline, people would drive more- pushing up gasoline consumption.
False presumption. Although they might be tempted to do so.
Simple. Gradually add more tax to gasoline as in Europe to suppress demand and use the funds to maintain the and improve highways instead of using other taxes.
Most states already use a gasoline tax to fund road maintenance here.

ALL of it ? AND new roads and bridges etc ?

Been there, done that.

Transfer the tax loading dynamically. Overall tax need not rise.
Graham

daestrom wrote:

Most states already use a gasoline tax to fund road maintenance here. Been there, done that.

In Canada, as far as I know, that was the original intent of the gas tax. It didn't stay that way. The money now all goes into general revenues and the roads are left to rot.
mike
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