House OKs bill to boost speed limits

[hippiechick]

Yes, especially since gas is at it's highest price ever, and the faster you go - the more you burn ... and especially since speed racing assholes on the highway tend to cause the most accidents ... let's raise the speed limit !!! :eyes:

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/234762-2726-103.html

By Kevin Corcoran
[e-mail]
April 6, 2005


Indiana moved a step closer Tuesday to raising its speed limits to 70 mph on rural interstates and the Indiana Toll Road and to 60 mph on four-lane divided highways.

"This is a great bill," quipped Rep. Robert Alderman, R-Fort Wayne. "This'll get cars almost up to the speed limit that trucks are traveling now."

To appease critics, the bill includes tougher penalties for "aggressive driving" and requires State Police to notify the legislature if traffic deaths rise by more than 7 percent a year with the higher speeds.

"You and I know that everybody adds at least 10 mph onto what the posted speed limit is," Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, told House lawmakers. "The police practically wave at you now as you go by at 80 mph."

The Indiana House's 68-25 vote returns the speed-limit legislation, Senate Bill 217, to the Senate, which passed the bill 34-15 on Feb. 10 as a measure to increase speed limits only on interstates.

[DrGonzoLives]

1. The faster you go, the more you burn

Not necessarily - every engine has an efficiency curve. Heavy vehicles, for instance, get shit mileage driving slow, good mileage at a certain speed, then it decreases after that. My car gets its best mileage at about 75 mph.

It's not just driving fast, it's driving recklessly as well that causes accidents; you can drive fast and still be a good driver. And I would chalk up at least a few of those deaths to assholes who insist on driving 2 mph under the limit in the fast lane and refuse to move for miles.

[SpeedwayDemocrat]

2. Let's ticket the "left lane hogs" first

I agree with Dr. Gonzo that the slow moving idiots who only use the left lane and refuse to let you pass are a real problem. Other states are beginning to ticket them - why can't we?
Here's a clue - if you look in your rear view mirror and see someone behind you, move to the right lane!!!

[caraher]

3. Engine efficiency is not necessarily fuel efficiency

Air resistance increases roughly as the square of the the velocity and doesn't care what kind of engine you have. The mileage you predict based solely on engine performance in a lab setting wouldn't include that.

According to data linked through HowStuffWorks.com most cars reaches peak efficiency at 60 MPH or less. Your car may be an exception, but the point is - it would be exceptional. The norm being lower means a net increase in fuel consumption for equal miles driven if the speeds increase. Chances are your vehicle is very aerodynamically efficient, but that's certainly *not* the case for, say, a Hummer. And it's the fuel efficiency of the *least* efficient part of the vehicle fleet that dominates the total gasoline demand.

[salin]

4. Odd, why is a 7% increase in fatalities, acceptable?

They only get "notified" if the rate increases by MORE than 7%. Am going to bet that this will be a great comfort to the families of those killed... they don't matter - we get to drive faster, but the fatality increase was only 6.3% so... too bad!

Sorry, but something about that item as an "appeasement" is rather creepy. Not a - notify us of any changes in the rate so we can reconsider... but putting a number down as the rate at which their should be concern - which implicitly suggests that additional highway fatalities under that rate are... okay. Ugh!

[AwakeAtLast]

5. Don't flame me

but I actually think this is O.K.

Before you flame me, please let me explain.

I travelled to MS over my Spring Break to visit my husband (he called very last minute and we dropped everything and left). I drove from IN, through IL, MO, AR, and then to MS. The only states where there was a significant backlog of drivers and delays were in IN and IL, the only states with speed limits of 65 mph. The others were 70 mph. I cannot explain the reason for this, but I will say that driving in the other states was much easier.

Just my

[caraher]

6. Wouldn't think of flaming you...

I think there is a correlation between the population density/traffic density and the adoption of higher speed limits, so actually one might expect more delays in states with lower speed limits. But I think for a single trip it would have a lot more to do with exactly what time you drove, where the major cities were along your route and the time of day when you drove through or past them. IN and IL were also the first two states you passed through so maybe it has more to do with what time it was when you were driving than anything else?

[AwakeAtLast]

9. I thought of those things

So. IL is basically as desolate as eastern MO and AR. Plus, this happened on the way down and the way back.

I seriously am not kidding that when I crossed the IL state line, traffic immediately got better on the way, and worse on the way back.

One thing, though, is that there are no major cities on that route except for Memphis. I think that helped a lot.

:hi:

[hippiechick]

7. No flames, WakeMeUp ...

Agreeing with me is neither mandatory nor advisable for most sane people.

:silly:


:hi: How's the little one ???

[AwakeAtLast]

8. She's fine, thanks

She did really well on the trip. It was such a great surprise to get to go.

Hubby also gets a block leave in June. The only good thing Rumsfeld has done.

Can't wait for the next meetup! :hi: