Well, the converse of that is the 'fuel surcharge' that is being thrown onto the price of these goods due to the cost/consumption of fuel.

It just depends on your point of view I guess. It was our "Texas" President that said that we are addicted to oil, and we need to reduce the dependency. Increasing speeds, and therefore increasing consumption does NOT reduce this dependency.

This is going to make me sound like a tree hugger, but I am not. We, as Americans, need to realize that we are citizens of the world, and act accordingly. It's less about "I, I, I...mine mine mine", than it is "us and our". I am an absolute opponent of big government. But if it takes the goverment to step in, reduce the speed limit, and in turn reduce THIS COUNTRY'S dependence on oil, even a little....I might have to consider it.

And for the record, you have no 'right' to drive the biggest, most fuel guzzling vehicle you want. That's a privilege. Someone pointed that out to me the other day in another thread. And at the same time, going a certain speed isn't a right. Since if you was your right, you wouldn't get a ticket for going too fast.

 

I would straight up fall asleep at the wheel in a half a nonosecond if I were forced to drive across Texas at 55 mph .... probably wouldn't make it 5 miles .

There aren't many places that regulate the speeds as low as we do in the states. We pay more for fuel over here in Europe and in some areas ... there isn't a speed limit at all. But .... the cars are designed for better mileage here so things kinda balance out.

It's all relative I guess. In a place like Texas where the drive across state is truly boooooorrrrrrriiiiinnnnngggg I would welcome 85 mph and the gas costs to go with it.

Just my .02
PISTOL

 

There are, of course, other methods. As we saw in the 1970s and early 1980s, the demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles surged. Hey, you haven't lived until you've driven from Ohio to West Texas at 55 MPH in a Ford Fiesta S - and I have! In fact, I don't even commute to work in my truck - in inclement weather, I commute in my 23 MPG Acura 3.2TL-S, and when the weather is nice (like today) I ride my 40 MPG BMW K1200GT motorcycle. The point is, the market works. As fuel prices rise, people will tend to make decisions that reduce consumption. Simultaneously, fundamental economic principles say that higher prices will drive efforts to increase supply. If you're familiar with the Baker Hughes active worldwide drilling rig count, you'll see that this is happening:

Full Year 2004 Average - 2395 rigs

Full Year 2005 Average - 2746 rigs

Year to Date 2006 Average - 3080 rigs

So, the situation doesn't necessarily require government intervention to correct itself.
That is a red herring since you're rebutting an argument I've never made. In fact, I've never said that I would drive 80 MPH even if the speed limit was increased. Rather, my point is that, should the Texas legislature vote to increase the speed limit from 75 to 80 MPH, it is acting within its purview to do so. IF they do so, then both you and I have a right to drive our fuel guzzling trucks 80 MPH on those designated sections of I-10 and I-20. Of course, we can drive less than 80 MPH if we so choose - which is what I said in my original post.

Rusty

 

Well, again, it's pretty much all relative. Driving across Texas is just like driving across Nebraska, or South Dakota, or any other place with flat terrain. A long drive is a long drive, no matter where it is.

I had a 'statistic' around here about the average fuel economy of a European vehicle. I think it beats ours here in the US by at least 8MPG. Yeah, they may drive faster, but in most cases it is in a more fuel efficient vehicle, and over a much shorter distance. Especially since across the EU is about the same as across Texas.

 

they also drive much lighter cars without the safty requirements that our goverment mandates. and they do need to raise the limit out west to 80 mph. if you disagree, i would have to think you have never traveled that part of the country. it is flat and boring, the deer are little so the damage is not that bad when you wack one. the biggest distraction is the tumble weeds when they blow across.

 

How about in a 1975 Blazer, no A/C and towing a trailer at 60MPH from San Diego to Atlanta...in AUGUST!!!




I already knew about these numbers. These are the same numbers I presented to reinforce my argument against raising gas prices.


My initial post was just about the lunacy of increasing the speed limit based on the current world market. And just because people are already going faster than the posted speed limit, the Texas lawmakers shouldn't enable them even farther by increasing the limit to a higher level.

And I guess I should apologize. My interpretation of what your were saying about 'rights' wasn't what you were trying to present.

I am just trying to justify in my mind where they justify in their minds doing this. Must own stock in Exxon or Chevron

 

Been there, done that, got the driver's window suntan to prove it. I have driven across Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas several times throughout my life. And while I am thinking about it, never crossing 75MPH, and hardly ever crossing 70MPH.

I could go into a long diatribe about this, yet again, but I will refrain. Suffice it to say that I've driven over the most boring parts of this country too, increasing the speed limit isn't going to change it. Other than to make it more dangerous, and more expensive (in fuel cost) to cross the same distance.

Oh, and simple physics says hitting even that small deer 5MPH faster will do more damage.

 

Well, you probably also know how many years can pass between spudding in a well in a new play and fuel flowing out of a pump down at the corner gas station. Today's drilling won't increase supply tomorrow morning.
I guess we do things a little differently here in Texas, huh?
Many Texans do, along with working for oil companies or their suppliers.

Rusty

 

I have to disagree with you stinger on this one. First off the speed limit raise was started into motion way before this round of gas prices. Someone posted a link to it moths ago. That being said my trucks are not nearly as speed dependant as your numbers show. I can and do pull 18.5+ MPG out of my 95 on the usual back and forth to work grind.
I went to Bristol TN for the the cup races and avg 19.9 MPG run 75 MPH and 19.5 running 70. This was over the course of a 300 mile round trip each day. I made the trip on three seperate days and filled up at the same gas sation and pump. topped the tank till the brim then hand calced. This is my truck. It has never broken 20 MPG but I am getting it there. Another trip I make alot is SC to VA to see family. I get the same MPG running 55-60 on the back roads as flying 75 on the interstate. The only benefiet to going slower is the pretty scenery and the 2 hour longer trip.
My 04 is another story gas milage sucks all the time with it. I have just gotten used to getting 17 MPG on the interstate. The new mods I have done have brought it up but I cant comment on them yet.
My 97 chevy gasser got the same MPG running 80 as 65 MPG. The speeds inbetween varied the MPG but 80=65 for milage.
From what I have found is that gearing is important but engine efficiency has just as much to do with it. If your motor is at its max efficiency at 2300 RPM then it is going to get its best MPG at that speed. Not 70 or 80 but at whatever the RPM max efficiency is. All my trucks have 3.42-3.73 gearing for this reason. I drive long distances alot and like the ability to fly on the interstate. If I ever need more power for towing I just drop a gear.

 

Well, those aren't 'my' numbers per se. I was using numbers posted here on DTR buy other users. I was using a little multiplication/division. And if you look at the numbers after mine, they are pretty much the same.

That is me. My 04.5 has only broken 18MPG one time. But I really didn't expect it, since I went from 3.55 gears to 3.73, and from a 2500 SRW to a 3500 DRW.

Well, that is pretty much the same thing my old Blazer does. It got aboout 8 MPG whether in the city, on the highway, or 4 wheeling. But that did change when I threw a trailer behind it.

Well, I don't drive long distances _alot_, but I do drive them. I guess I just don't have the disposable income that many have that drive these trucks, so I pay very close attention to speed/fuel economy.

I purchased this truck knowing that I would be retiring in a few years, and wanted a truck that I could rely on to last and last (at least as far as the engine goes). I have had to re-access this thought process, but I still need this truck about 15-20% of the time. Hmm...what to do...

 

Sorry to have to say it- but new vehicles over here do usually have much better passenger protection in a typical crash scenario over here than US cars. Naturally if I crash my truck with a small car the outcome is clear- but according to a lot of crash studies the same impact US vs US or European econobox vs European Econobox at the same speed will result in less severe injuries for the Euros.
The speed limits discussions are quite fun for me to read- now we do have a speed limit for some highways that's been increased to 100mph.

AlpineRAM

 

Ah so many posts, so many ideas! As I look at many of the posts from the many of you from TX,AZ,NM?, MT, ect.. I feel like a forigner as I am from upstate/western NY state. To those of you who have never been to the Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse region, let me tell ya, if you're doing 75, you will be running everyone over. Not to say there arent ones here that do, but it is the exception. State speedlimits are 65 on the thruway and "rural" expressways and 55 on other expressways and regular roads. And the cops do keep their eyes open. To those of you who realize these people who complain about oil $$ and still drive FAST are loopy, I agree. Before I forget, I have 4:10s and at 70 my truck SCREEEAMS!! I may as well toss my wallet out the window at those speeds. How anyone would do 80-85 is beyond me Thats almost 100!! Now I know, the southwest is a TON of open country. Not like here, where you can be anywhere w/in 25 minutes; @ 65 . I sure as heck wouldn't want to drive across TX @ 65 either. I am quite content keeping my truck less than 65, (in over 6k miles, never had it over 75) and easily getting upper teens and very low 20s MPG. And at the least, man, you hit something going 70+ in these trucks, OUCH! See y'all in the right hand lane!!

If I remember right, in a defensive driving class once, I thought I heard that a difference of 5 MPH only saves a few minutes over a similiar distance. Or something.

 

80mph is nothing... 80-85 is the norm INSIDE the DFW metroplex... you can cruise along at 85 on I35 between Dallas and OKC without much worry... a lot of times, you'll get in a pack of 10 cars or so doing 90 plus.

as for all the whining about conserving fuel? you buy your fuel, you pay your tax per gallon, you can burn it however you want...

how much fuel do you think a 600cc crotch rocket burns at 100mph... it's probably a lot less than a 4x4 QC 3500 does at 75mph.

 

Since oil is a commodity traded on the world market and we are just one player in this world economy, my question is this - If we conserve fuel through whatever means (i.e. voluntarily, reduced speed limits, rationing, etc.), won't this just enable the Chinese (or whoever you choose to name) to utilize more fuel at a reduced cost leaving us with less usage but unchanged prices?

I’m not advocating that we ought to be foolish in our oil usage but I think it naive to think that conservation will reduce prices significantly until we supply much more of our own oil.

 

Just out of curiosity, have you ever driven in west Texas? The roads out there are LONG and straight. I agree that you'll burn more fuel driving 80 so in that sense it's probably not the greatest idea, but as far as safety is concerned I don't have a problem with it out there. I definitely wouldn't go for it on I-35 or I-45 because there's just too much traffic.