Truckers Group Recommends 65 MPH national speed limit
Some people don’t seem to remember the lessons from history. According to RV News Service, via the RVTravel newsletter, a trucking group wants Congress to set a national 65 MPH speed limit to reduce fuel consumption. While this sounds good, let’s look at the best general practices.
Highway engineers know that the best speed limit is usually to speed that 85% of drivers would not exceed anyway if there were no speed limit. If you set the speed limit at that level, most drivers will not exceed it, nor undershoot it by very much. If the limit is too low, everyone will exceed it. Remember the double nickel from the 70’s and 80’s, which was pretty much a joke, at least anywhere west of the Mississippi River.
I can tell you that most truckers exceed the 60 MPH truck speed limit on Washington Freeways considerably, many more than five MPH over. I drive my motorhome at no more than 60 MPH, and the trucks nearly always pass, unless we’re going uphill.
In short, I don’t think we need Congress or any other national body telling us what speed limits we should have. We should leave that with the states.
Let me add the one thing that will add more than any other to reducing consumption, and helping business. Let Congress provide tax breaks to businesses and employees to promote telecommuting. Less fuel used to get to/from the office. And greater productivity from ultimately happier employees.
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business, Motorhomes, Transportation History
