The National Maximum Speed Law (NMSL) in the United States was a provision of the 1974 Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act that prohibited speed limits higher than 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). It was drafted in response to oil price spikes and supply disruptions during the 1973 oil crisis.

 

But it was estimated to save less than 1% of oil consumption. (Less than is saved from properly inflated tires thus now we have mandatory TPMS warnings in cars-Gotta love the Federal Government!)

It was then kept on the books as a safety measure by the insurance lobbists that denigrated any congressman opposed to the law was for more traffic fatalities.

When repealed the mass carnage never took place. One of the reasons is because more people were travelling a similar speed...

 

I think it depends on where you live/drive. I purchased the Fit because I HATE spending (wasting) money on gas. I also purchased a Fit because it is so fun to drive. I don't mind spending time in my car. With the USB port, I can listen to great stuff and time just flies...

HOWEVER, that all said, I also think it is important to drive safely in your area, and IMO in some areas, driving slow is unsafer. I'm not cutting on anyone here (take no offense), but I've driven in some areas (Atlanta, LA, NYC, and some areas in Canada, for example) where I felt if I drove 55, I'd be pushed off the road!

I live in a VERY rural area where more people are killed by deer collisions that anything else. The folks driving 70+ are the ones that get killed more times than not.

I set my cruise on 55 when I commute to work, I share the road with very few other vehicles, and the ones that want to fly, do so in the left lane while I'm happy as can be, getting 44 mpg in the right lane.

I ALSO AGREE that doing 55 in the left (fast) lane is WRONG WRONG WRONG under normal driving conditions.

Let us slow pokes who love good gas economy be in our lane, and we'll let you guys who love to fly live large in your lane

In the winter, the situation changes, of course! Then, I'm the one passing in the left lane because my cars always ROCK in the snow. Then I'm the one frustrated with the weenies driving too slow in the right lane...

 

I don't know. Insurance companies dont really care about safety. We've got the actuarial tables to know exactly how much to charge to achieve a specific combined ratio (claims out / premium in) when claims go up we just increase rates and the entire industry will too. When we pretend to care about safety its just a PR thing not a profit thing. Well PR is profit but that's another matter. If we are lobbying for something its to be able to bring our combined ratio down. Most states force us to maintain a combined ratio above .90 or .85 Its impossible for us to see more than 10 to 15 percent profit since the states have to aprove our rates. What im saying is the whole thing sounds a bit conspiracy theory-ish. The items you buy at walmart have a bigger margin than your insurance rates.
Edit: wow, the only thing I dont like about this new phone is how bad it is at autocorrecting.

 

i think there was a law in our state that the left lane is only to be used for passing slower cars... or something or another.

if you find a slow car driving in the left lane you are welcome to safely push them off the road into a ditch. ok, j/k

bottom line: driving slow does not equal safe driving.

 

 

My kind of freeway signs!!!

 

If you are driving 55 on a modern super highway and almost get hit by a silver Fit cutting in front of you it may be me. But hey it's just my way, so live and let live. We all gotta learn to get along JIm 0311

 

There are no red lights on modern super highways!

 

I remember when they instituted speed limits on many roads in Nevada! You could also get a limited motorcycle license at 12 years old. Bike had to be governed to 25 MPH.

Can't remember 85 on interstates? JIm 0311

 

um, is that a question or a statement? I think I remember being in the back seat of my dad's chevy and the posted limit out west somewhere was 85mph. Memory is a funny thing.

 

Bad english ! I do not remember 85 on interstates. Do you remember 85 on interstates?

 

My memory is of renting a tiny Renualt R5 in Paris and driving it across (what was then) West Germany to East Berlin. It seemed that if you spent more than a minute in the left lane of the autobahn a black Mercedes grew from a dot on the horizon in your rear-view mirror to a hulking, angry, headlights-flashing death star in a matter of seconds. Found Checkpoint Charlie to be relaxing in comparison--and those guys sported machine guns.

 

1) Keep right- except to pass.
2) Slower moving vehicles keep right.
3) Play well together.

 

this. OP mad

 

super highway?

 

I remember my parents driving 85 all the time. We took a couple trips from Seattle to North Dakota. Maybe Montana had some back then. I really don't remember. But I do remember the freeways being 65 or 70 through town. By the time I got my license, double-nickle and channel 19 were standard. 85MPH was a lofty goal.

 

I did that too. Started to rent a Fiesta in Paris and the cabby I was chatting with convinced me to upgrade on the way from the airport. An opel sedan on the autobahns was fun. And you're right. Cruising at 180 you'd keep to the right in the slow lane or get run over. Porsches passing you like you were standing still. That opel did 220 and still didn't top out.

It did seem that there were a hell of a lot of maimed guys too young to have been in the war hanging out in the beer halls.

 

superduper highway.

 

All this rings true, except for the part about the maimed guys. At those speeds, they might be drinking a toast to your memory in the beer halls, but that’s about all that would come away from the wreckage.

Damn, I should’ve listened to my cabbie’s advice.