Are we Democrats? Or NASCAR dads?

[pnwmom]

I was surprised, in a recent thread about going back to a 55 mile an hour speed limit, that there was so little support for a measure that would conserve oil. Because, whatever your individual car's fuel efficiency, we would save considerably on AVERAGE gas mileage with an AVERAGE speed limit of about 55.

Apparently, progressives are no more willing to sacrifice than Republicans, at least when it comes to something that seems important . . . like driving fast.

[Solo_in_MD]

1. That one size does not fit all is not a political concept

and trying to make it a progressive value makes us look like nanny state oriented fools.

Roads, particularly out west, were designed for higher speeds, and doing 70 through there is not a repuke conspiracy. If you ever drive through west Texas, Montana, or the Dakotas, common sense makes that clear.

[pnwmom]

3. Roads might have been designed for enough SAFETY at higher speeds,

but that doesn't change the fact that, on the average, cars achieve the best fuel efficiency at around 55. Even in empty Western interstates, which we drive all the time.

Common sense also tells us that road safety is one issue and fuel efficiency is another. On the other hand, both were improved during the years that most states had a 55 speed limit.

And conserving energy IS a progressive value.

[ForrestGump]

4. Are you sure that 'most' cars are optimally efficent at 55?

We hear it all the time, but I have doubts. Japanese engines, for example, have long been known to rev higher and to perform better at higher rpm than others -- my father told me that decades ago -- and I'd be surprised if many don't operate with the sweet spot at 70 mph or higher.

For sure, my motorcycle, with a top end at almost 200 mph, achieves best fuel efficiency on the open road when I probably average 100 mph, sitting pretty steadily between 90 and 110 mph. I can even feel how well it's running at that speed, a motorcyclist by necessity being more intimately in touch with the performance and smoothness of his or her engine.

[ForrestGump]

6. Check this out

I did a quick Google search and discovered that most of my results on the first page go with the 55mph-is-most-efficient idea. Whether it's parrotig spurious conventional wisdom or actually verifiably true, I don't know.

This page reported results for a Chevy that held true to the idea, but the first respondent to the original poster pointed out, basically, that it's not necessarily true for all cars, just for underpowered ones. Again, to me it makes sense that a high-revving car would be more efficient at higher speeds. I'm not a mechanic, or a car enthusiast, but that much does make sense to me:

http://acrosstheboard.blogspot.com/2005/10/driving-55-mph-does-save-gas-mileage.html

"...you need to get a car that is powered for the bulk that it is carrying and it has to be geared for highway speeds."

Someone else who contributed to the discussion offered the following ideas for maximizing fuel efficiency:

My suggestions (and I have 1.5 million miles to back me up on that) are as follow (take them or not, wont change much in my life but it may save you a buck or two… and the environment...)

1- Keep those tires properly inflated. (I usually keep them harder in the front (37 in the front and 34 in the back depending on the tire..)
2- Start slowly on that light. Stepping on it is fun but it drains that fuel. Let your engine do the work.
3- Once at speed, keep it constant. use that Cruise control as much as you can.
4- Don’t accelerate while going up a hill or bridge. Just keep it constant.
5- Use the other side of the hill (Gravity) to accelerate
6- Slow down before you get to that light or corner. Otherwise, you are just sending more energy to those breaks.
7- Don’t Idle too much.
8- Keep your engine and car in tune! Oil needs to be changed as well as spark plugs! I am even thinking that we should give an automatic ticket to those who break down on the road and cause traffic if they cannot prove that they had their car maintained recently.

All in all, every little bit helps but bottom line, adjust speed to your engine.and transmission. Don’t under rev and don’t over rev.

It's simply too simplistic to state that all cars achieve greatest fuel efficiency at 55 mph. All cars are not created equal.

[pnwmom]

7. Individual cars attain peak fuel efficiency at different speeds, of

course. But we can't have individual speed limits, can we? When research was conducted to find the AVERAGE speed limit that resulted in the best OVERALL efficiency (adding many cars together), the result was about 55.

[ForrestGump]

11. Back in the '70s, right?

During the first energy crisis?

When the landscape was dominated by Detroit-designed tanks?

Things have changed. Even with American-branded (it's too hard now to completely break cars down into 'American,' 'Japanese,' or 'German,' etc) cars. Things could change, even more, of course.

My individual speed limit is okay with me. And the police officers who've passed me at over 100 mph didn't seem to mind it, either. :-)

[pnwmom]

16. It probably IS time to update the research. As part of a general

effort to do what we can to conserve oil. That way we could determine what the current efficiencies are.

But one thing -- the laws of physics haven't changed. And we sure have a lot of hunking S.U.V.'s out there. I have trouble believing that they are getting their best mileage at speeds of 65 and over, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

[ForrestGump]

18. The SUVs are a different story

Most are superfluous -- unfortunately, freedom of choice results in some unfortunate choices -- and represent a total waste of resources. Sure, some are legitimately needed vehicles (I've lived and worked where 'real' SUVs, that have nothing in common with most of these suburban posers, are de rigeur because of the terrain -- utilitarian Toyota landcruisers reign supreme in such places) but there is no valid reason for most urban or suburban Americans to own one, other than that they want it, dammit, and they are conditioned to believe they have a right to have whatever they want. There's certainly no compelling reason for SUVs to make up 50% of the automobile market these days. And there is no acceptable reason for the civilian (not that it has anything to do with the military version) Hummer's existence.

Maybe a re-evaluation of the average efficiency of passenger vehicles would result in an autobahn-like system here...cool. :D

Actually, I don't know if the US is ready for that kind of thing...

[ForrestGump]

5. The first time I rode through West Texas, back in the '80s on a 650cc

Honda motorcycle (Highway 90, I think it was, one of my most favorite rides on the planet...through Marfa, Alpine, Del Rio, etc), I realized that there was a legitimate use, off the race track, for a motorcycle that'd do 160 mph, like the 900cc Ninja that was then King of Performance. At 100 mph, I felt like the landscape wasn't moving at all. It's beautiful out there, just magnificent in its emptiness (empty of humans, I mean), but it's a long, long, long straight way to that horizon out there. Even at high speeds, it takes a long time to get from El Paso to San Antonio on that road -- I mean, it's a quarter of the country's width -- a time I cherish every mile of but a time I sure wouldn't want to turn into a career by plodding along at 55 mph.

A person could go nuts crawling along at 55mph in West Texas, especially if their offspring were given to the "are we there yet?" thing.

[pnwmom]

8. Maybe that explains why so many people in Texas seem disturbed.

They're going nuts driving on all those empty roads.

[ForrestGump]

10. I don't know about you, but

I go more nuts driving on congested roads.

Viva Tejas...

[sandnsea]

13. Try it in North Dakota

That state is like driving across a 300 mile vacant lot and the only sign of life you see is the geezer driving 55 mph in front of you. You won't even see a friggin' dog driving across that state, and you sure won't hear one barking because they don't like noise there either. Or anyone to know they drink alcohol because the bars have no windows and no neon signs. Absolutely nothing to break up the monotony. Just 300 miles of mind-numbing nothingness. I support a 55 mph speed limit, as long as there's a waiver for North Dakota.

[pnwmom]

15. I remember encountering, for the first time, the phenomenon of

highway exits to nowhere. Literally. An exit sign that says no food, no gas, no . . . whatever. Because the exit just ends in a patch of grass. You see this over much of Nevada.

[sandnsea]

19. I've driven Nevada

From Carson to Eureka. That was pretty bad too, the only reason we actually made the whole drive was because I really wanted to see Eureka, I thought it would have lots of cool historic stuff. So after getting about half way, we only finished the drive because we knew we would never do it again, not on purpose. But I still have to rate North Dakota as worse because on the way back from Eureka we took a different road and actually ended up in a treed area with a creek and everything. Not so North Dakota, just 10 miles of wheat field, little house with no life to be seen, a tree break, and another 10 miles of wheat field, and on and on it goes. There simply can't be a more miserable place on the planet.

[pnwmom]

23. When you're out of gas in the middle of nowhere, that's a time

when an AAA membership comes in handy. It might take them a while, but they'll send someone out to wherever you are with some gas.

[ForrestGump]

20. In West Texas

I made the unfortunate discovery that towns on the map aren't necessaily towns that still exist on the actual landscape. With a 200-mile range on my (then) motorcycle's gas tank, this was a rather unsettling discovery. I still recall running completely out of gas while coming down a hill and seeing the lights of Van Horn, TX, twinkling in the (too far) distance, wondering how I was going to deal with the backpack and tent and everything else I'd somehow strapped on to my bike and still walk 20 miles or whatever it was through the Texas night to get gas. I'll never forget the religious experience I had when a lone gas station, inexplicably in the middle of nowhere, hove into view just in time to let my downhill momentum carry me to the pumps coasting, literally, on fumes. To this day, I'm not sure that gas station was real...when I've passed through there since, I try to spot it and never do.

There's some big country out there.

[sandnsea]

31. I only drove the freeway

In from Lousiana to Dallas, and then up to catch I-40 into New Mexico. We were taking some friends' kids back to Cali and I just remember them constantly asking "where are we?"... Texas, yes still Texas. It is some big country, with some big BUGS. I remember that too. :)

[LaPera]

2. Zoooom! "I can't drive 55"

Give me better MPG...

I hate NASCAR & republican Sammy Hagar!

[SeattleGirl]

9. But please don't judge the DUers among us who like NASCAR

Not trying to flame or diss you, LaPera. Really, I'm not. But I grew up watching my parents race, and it's something I enjoy. I like racing, but respect those who don't for whatever reason. I hope that you can do the same. Thanks, and peace.

[ForrestGump]

12. But he/she IS right about Sammy Hagar,

regardless of Hagar's poilitical orientation.

There was only one true Van Halen, and it had Diamond Dave at front and center. :D

[SeattleGirl]

14. Hey, ForrestGump!!!

How the hell are you? Seems I haven't seen you around here much, or have I just been missing the posts of one of my fav DUers?

[ForrestGump]

17. Haven't been around

I've been climbing clock towers, sniping at far-right f***knuckles.

It was a futile endeavour... :-(

Hi.

:hug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. Hey! SeattleGirl! This Bobby Labonte loving soccer mom says,

"thanks". :yourock:

[SeattleGirl]

29. And this Kasey Kahne loving fan says, You're Welcome!

:yourock: too! :hug:

[donheld]

21. Hopefully some of us are Democratic NASCAR dads!

:shrug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

22. Thank you donheld. I was going to post but you did it for me. I love

"shame, shame" posts that include thick headed stereotypes in the subject line. :hi:

[pnwmom]

25. Sorry. I was just trying to get people's attention. Last post I made

didn't get any readers.

[donheld]

26. Your most welcome

I'd be willing to bet there are many Democratic NASCAR dads.

[pnwmom]

27. And I have no problem with NASCAR viewers. Just civilians who want

to DRIVE like them on the roads I drive on.

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. I know you meant well, but the use of those terms is a slap in my face

and I am sure the faces of many others here. I cut my teeth on car racing and it sickens me that this stereotype is being used with increasing frequency here. I leave Rushisms to Rush.

[SeattleGirl]

30. How about this: I'm a blue-bleeding Democrat

AND I'm a NASCAR fan. I see no conflict between the two.

Edited to add: I know NASCAR is a favorite bashing target on DU, but folks should be more open. NASCAR is not the good ol' boy sport it once was. It appeals to many people, across many political spectrums. It would behoove many to be open to that even if the sport does not appeal to you.

[ForrestGump]

32. I'm a damned commie, according

to many of the Neanderthal f***wits on the other side of the fence, and I like to drive or ride fast. :D

But I'm safe. I'm good. A damned good fast-moving commie.

[ScreamingMeemie]

33. ...and cute to boot!

Or so I have heard. :hug:

[ForrestGump]

36. Thank you

:hug:

I've seen your cuteness, too. :D

[SeattleGirl]

34. Well, I guess I'm a commie too

Not only do I like to watch drivers go fast, I like to DRIVE fast! (But not endanger anyone).

[ForrestGump]

37. Zdravstvuit, Tovarich

:D

Come, let us top off our May Day celebration by making trotsky ice sculptures with these wicked-looking ice picks...

Long live the glorious proletariat revolution against oppressive speed limits!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. And the sad part is that this was a Rush coined term.

I hate seeing it here as much as I hate seeing "soccer mom". Most soccer moms I know are Dems...not salivating over a picture of Bush in the living room. :hi:

[ForrestGump]

38. I like soccer moms

I even salivate over them. :D

[ScreamingMeemie]

39. I think I am safe in saying that most soccer moms would love to

be salivated over...by the likes of you. ;)

[ForrestGump]

40. You are too kind

:D

I like that!