Senator John Warner has recommended that the US return to a 55 mph speed limit in an effort to conserve gas. An instant, and heated, debate broke out as it always does when this topic is broached.
In 1974, Congress set the 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 The speed limit was repealed in 1995 when crude oil dipped to $17 a barrel and gasoline cost $1.10 a gallon.
Fast forward to the summer of 2008 when crude oil is getting comfortable above $140 per barrel and gasoline at the pump is more than $4.00 per gallon. Senator Warner cites statistics that say 167,000 barrels of oil were saved per day back then. Now, with so many more cars on the road, he says the amount could be even more significant.
The Department of Energy (on their website) 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.”
It’s a subject of furious debate because personal driving habits come in to play more than anything else here. Many motorists do report they save about 1 mpg, or up to 15% just by slowing down from 65 to 55. Others say they’ve seen no savings whatsoever. A third group contends that it’s largely irrelevant since highway driving is not necessarily a part of the average American’s daily commute. Still others chime in with claims that today’s cars are designed to perform better at the higher speeds.
Back on the proponents side, some cite other statistics showing that the lower speed limit can also be safer, and that an estimated 4,000 traffic accident deaths could be avoided each year.
That last claim might also become more controversial as the practice of “hypermiling’ spreads across the country. Hypermilers use a variety of driving techniques, like coasting, and maintaining constant speed even through sharp turns to increase their miles per gallon significantly. Some document near 100 mpgs.
You still have time to get your biggest question about hypermiling and other gas saving techniques. We anticipate publishing our step-by-step guide to increasing your gas mileage by 30% in 30 days in mid October. To ask your questions and sign on to the priority mailing list to hear when they are all answered, visit www.hypermilersecrets.com
LOL…I’m a former, self-admitted lead foot driver. If some of the more “sane” techniques I learned from the hypermilers work as well as I think, I may even have to change the title of my blog to something like “coasting to success.
*** Speaking of changing names…the book’s title is a bit tongue in cheek. The hypermilers I talked to while doing my research were all enthusiastic and eager to share what they’ve learned on the road. The only secret to any of it was the code behind the jargon they used! But don’t worry, I leave all of that out of my books. What you’ll get in this guide is simple, practical, and just plain English.
