Pffft not in SoCal. Im doing 70 and still get blown to the side by people in their big trucks, cars, and SUV's. Being the cheap bastard that I am, I have visual images of coins and dollar bills flying out of their tail pipes. The fools.

 

I just recently heard a news radio story on the reduced speeds on americas freeways. In Milwuakee, they said its proof that people are slowing down based on a survey. The DOT says that going 65mph instead of 75 saves almost $.5 per mile. I would assume thats not in a fit.

 

Up here in Michigan I noticed a few cars that are slowing down, but I still see lots of people driving Yukons, Expeditions, and Escalades that are flying by me doing 80-85 mph.

 

Yes sir I hear you. I used to navigate the beast that is M-59 daily. It made me hate traffic with a passion. Good to see another metro-detroiter on the board!!!

 

As a nation, we should muster the collective backbone to lower our national speed limit on the interstate system to 55, as was done during the gas crisis back in the 1970s. We would immediately slash our oil imports and achieve a great deal more national security as a result.

Are we mature and resolute enough to do that? Unfortunately, something tells me we're not.

 

I'm 46 and bought the Fit for MPGs AND for fun. I drive about 68 in a 65 but I'm afraid my head might explode if suddenly had to cut it to 55. I remember 55MPH limits and don't want that again. Call me immature I guess.

 

I don't care how slow people drive in the #2 lane on the interstates, but it infuriates me to no end when you have folks riding the #1 lane going the same speed (sometimes slower) than traffic on the right. It's one of the most basic rules of the road, but rarely do I see anything sticking to it.

-Mike

 

Perhaps you may wish to note that back in the early 70's when gas was rationed and speed limits on interstates were lowered to 55 very little change occurred in oil imports or refinery operations. Maturity and resolution aren't the issue: accomplishment is.
As a whole US citizens get more done per day than any other nation. Thats not just productivity in manufacturing, its getting groceries, getting children 'educated' and all those soccer mom errands. And the reason is the vehicles we have to do that. Only high prices will curtail crude oil consumption and that will take a decade to unravel only because we have this massive storehouse of large mpg vehicles that won't go away overnite.
If all new cars sold got 40 mpg it would take nearly ten years to make a serious dent in our crude consumption.
Ditto alternative energy vehicles. Including hybrids. And they won't be especially beneficial until they have solar and plug-in battery rechargers.

We got ourselves into this and we'll just have to ride it out. The solutions that will happen quickly: stop importing products from China and India etc. and reinstituting the 90% on high incomes just isn't going to happen.
So drive like you can afford. That will be the only solution we have. According to the latest reports people are driving less but not slower. Driving like they can afford. Me too.
cheers anyway.

 

I have noticed massive changes in traffic on I5 in my next of the woods. Half the people on the freeway aren’t even doing the speed limit any more (under 60)

 

I agree. They should restric the left lane to 80 mph cruising, and the right lane to 60 mph cruising. That way people won't have to pound on the brakes and waste gas. Think about it. If nobody had to use their brakes at all, everyone would probably get close to the MPG on hybrids since hybrid converts the car's motion into electricity to run the motor though braking. All this time politicians have been pounding on the auto industry without considering how much gas is wasted though traffic.

 

i don't go 80mph in the Fit very often....i can't stand the noise of 4000rpms for too long!

What I don't understand, though, are the guys that tail you, then pass you, only to stay about 4-5 carlengths ahead! I'm like, "where the fcuk do you think you're going in this traffic?"

i do this every morning. then I see another Fit on the road and all is well again.


but really though....the Fit's high rev's in 5th gear have really taught me how to slow down. In my fiance's Corolla...we'll be rolling 85mph and I can't even tell! I like cars that "hug" the road, rather than hover over it, you know?


-emil

 

I have noticed the big SUV and Pick ups going slower. I normally drive around 70 MPH on the hightway. I have been passing more and more so I gather some folks are slowing down.

 

this AM going down a 45mph 4lane road 2 arseholes driving next to
each other at 40mph for maybe 3miles.

pretty irritating. they dont realize that at 40mph it might be
at one of the worse RPM's as far as AT's gear ratio's to save fuel.

 

Same here... the engine sounds like it's going to blow up when you get up to 75+, so I tend to do most of my highway driving between 65 and 70. In Phoenix, this is OK since most folks tend to drive at or around the speed limit anyway (and lots of freeway speed limits in town are 55 instead of 65).

Seriously. You end up passing them again anyway... it's just the way heavy traffic works. It's like that opening scene in Office Space.

-Mike

 

well in IL up here near chicago, the speed limit is 55 (though 45 on most highways as there's a lot of construction going on). when it's 55, you have to go at least 80 just to keep up. and now that it's 45, people are still going about 70.

so i don't think lowering the speed limit would do anything, as people go as fast as they feel like anyways. or maybe we just need more cops hiding out around here

 

Lower the speed limit, and then enforce it in a rational way. If the national limit was 55, most people would still go about 63. Fine -- we'd use a lot less gas than we currently consume, plus the number of speed-related accidents and fatalities would drop. It's simple, and as far as I can tell it's a win-win situation.

 

I recently replaced my worn-out Dunlops with BFG Traction T/A's, and it made the car MUCH quieter. Now, of course, mine is an AT, so I'm about 1000 RPM lower than you at 80 MPH. But it was unbelievable how much noise I lost by getting a different tire on there. Stock Dunlops wore out in 37,000 miles of not-extremely-spirited driving.

 

I keep my fit around 65 - 70 on the highway. I noticed when I drive up near 80 my gas milage goes to crap. Plus I have to turn up the Radio to drown out the engine noise.

 

First, studies at MIT and DOT have shown that 2% savings is all the fuel cost reduction; worse, the slower speed limits crowded the cars until traffic was a problem and mpg plummeted.

 

I would disagree with that, Since we are use to going like a bat of you know what. Everbody would still drive at 70 - 75. The biggest abuse of gas is short in the city trips. If more people would not jump off a red light like John Force or speeded up to cut in front of some one then stop to make a turn. We then might save a gallon or two. Of cours that just my point of view.