f/k/a archives . . . real opinions & real haiku

Sen. John Warner (R-VA) . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)

If you’ve read our Efficient Driving Pledge back in April, you know the f/k/a Gang is celebrating the news that influential Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia “suggested Thursday that Congress might want to consider reimposing a national speed limit to save gasoline and possibly ease fuel prices.” See “Senator asks if nation’s drivers should slow down” (Washington Post/AP, July 4, 2008) The AP story continues:

“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.”

“. . . ‘The department’s Web site says that fuel efficiency decreases rapidly when traveling faster than 60 mph. Every additional 5 mph over that threshold is estimated to cost motorists “essentially an additional 30 cents per gallon in fuel costs,’ Warner said in his letter, citing the DOE data.”

On the other hand/thumb, if you’re a regular reader here, you must know that we are bemoaning and regretting the reaction of “our candidate” Barack Obama to Sen. Warner’s suggestion. As reported in the Detroit Free Press, “Speed limit idea said to save gas” (July 3, 2008):

“Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s spokesman said the Democrat would leave setting speed limits to the states and focus instead on renewable energy and improved efficiency.”

Barack took the correct and courageous stand against the summer gas-tax holiday during the Democratic primaries (see our prior post). But, his alleged cop-out on speed limits has left me with whiplash, wondering how many more of Sen. Obama’s principles will be sacrificed in his bid to win “blue collar” voters. Speed limits are no more an issue to be left for the states to decide than the Iraq war was an issue solely for federal politicians back when Barack was a State Senator speaking out on the war.

Michigan state Rep. Aldo Vagnozzi of Farmington Hills, recognizes the national scope of the problem. According to yesterday’s Free Press, he “introduced a resolution calling on Congress to reinstitute the national 55-m.p.h. speed limit implemented during the 1970s oil crisis.” At his website, Vagnozzi argues that:

“At a time when Michigan residents are stretching their dollars as far as they can to make ends meet, skyrocketing gas prices are only making matters worse,” Vagnozzi said. “By simply lowering the speed limit and slowing down on the road, we can increase fuel efficiency, decrease our gas consumption and provide consumers some relief at the pump.”

Most of today’s vehicles reach optimum fuel efficiency between 45 mph and 55 mph. For every mile-per-hour faster than 55 that a vehicle travels, fuel efficiency drops by about 1 percent. Efficiency drops off at a faster rate above 65 mph.

Lowering the national speed limit to 55 mph would:

* Save consumers money at the pump by increasing fuel efficiency, requiring them to buy less gas;
* Save lives by reducing the incidence and severity of traffic accidents;
* Reduce our dependence on foreign oil by reducing demand;
* Cut vehicle emissions by 10 percent.

Our fuel-savings post in April reiterated the lament:

“I hate to be cynical, but I don’t think there’s any chance that the American public — or their courageous leaders — will go along with lowering speed limits to 55 mph in order to save billions of gallons of oil a year.” This is another time when I would love to see one of my predictions proven wrong.

Perhaps leaders like Warner and Vagnozzi will indeed prove me wrong. But, they will need lots of support from other legislators and government officials to make fuel-efficient speed limits a reality. You still have time, Barack, to explain what your spokesperson really meant.

In April we opined: If politicians and the public were serious about achieving fuel economy — in order to save money and save Earth from greenhouse gases — they would start enforcing our speed limit laws and rollback the highway speed limit to 55 mph.

We continue to believe that the most effective, and surely the quickest, way to reduce our nation’s fuel consumption is to enforce the laws already on the books. For those who rather not click through, here are excerpts from our discussion on that topic:

A 2005 survey by the Governors Highway Safety Association confirmed what we already knew: almost every state allows drivers to regularly and significantly exceed the speed limit before they are stopped — and “Nearly all respondents reported a public perception that there exists a cushion above a posted speed limit in which officers will not cite offenders.

The range most often reported was 5-10 miles per hour above the posted limit. “(NewsMax.com, AP, “Survey: Most States Allow Speed Cushion,” June 13, 2005; Survey Executive Summary). One news report noted:

“Authorities patrolling U.S. highways tend to give motorists a cushion of up to 10 miles per hour above the speed limit before pulling them over, says a survey by a group of state traffic safety officials. The group found that 42 states allow drivers to regularly exceed the speed limit before they are stopped. [Editor’s Note: only 47 states responded to this survey; at least one of the non-responders — New York — clearly also has the speed cushion.]

. . . “Law enforcement needs to be given the political will to enforce speed limits and the public must get the message that speeding will not be tolerated,” said [Jim Champagne, chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association].

“[And, yes, speed both costs and kills:] A study released in 1999 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimated an increase in deaths on interstates and freeways of about 15 percent in the 24 states that had raised their speed limit in late 1995 and 1996.”

 

A pledge from our political leaders to achieve energy independence from foreign oil barons and monarchs (despite the personal sacrifice required of all Americans) would be particularly appropriate today, July 4th. I’m listening, Sen. Obama — please renew my faith in your idealism and commitment to do (and say) the right thing. Join with Sen. Warner and let us see some of your across-the-aisle cooperation and leadership.

more resources (May 3, 2008): For a lot of information and inspiration (and some great bumper stickers) zoom over to iDrive55.org – the Drive 55 Conservation Project.

By the way: With the help of the Cruise Control lever, I kept my promise to abide by the 65-mpg speed limit on the New York State Thruway last week, while traveling over 700 miles to and from the Chautauqua Institution. Yes, I was passed a lot. More important, I achieved my best fuel efficiency ever. In fact, for a 200-mile all-Thruway segment of the return trip, my 2000 Mazda Protege, which was rated by the government at 30 mpg for highway travel, averaged over 35 miles per gallon. [And, yes, I would be happy to drive 55, if that becomes the law of the land or of our state.]

update (July 21, 2008): The lead editorial in today’s Schenectady Daily Gazette is headlined: “Large gas discounts available for motorists’ taking.” It points out the instant large “discounts” drivers can achieve merely by slowing down, and opines: “Unfortunately, even with gas selling at over $4 per gallon, they won’t do it; and few politicians have been willing to stick their necks out and say the obvious: that government should reduce the national speed limit, the way it did when there were gas shortages and skyrocketing prices in the 1970s, and enforce it.”