A Little 55 MPH Speed Limit History Lesson

[Dibbons]

I remember the first day, was really difficult to plod along so slowly on a rural California freeway.

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/arti...-limit-is-unenforceable-and-counterproductive

 

[padam]

Wouldn't be surprised to see it come back soon. Everything seems to be trending back towards the days of the Carter administration.

 

[Photon440]

Wouldn't be surprised to see it come back soon. Everything seems to be trending back towards the days of the Carter administration.

Nixon enacted the 55 limit.

 

[padam]

Nixon enacted the 55 limit.

Wow, didn't think it was that long ago.
But now I remember, we were traveling in our family trucktster 68 Monoco wagon.
My dad was going over 55, probably about 65-70. My mom was concerned he would get a ticket, and he told her " I'll just tell the cop there's a notch in the gas pedal."
That had to be around 74-75.

 

[Speedbird]

I see many, many people everyday that can't even drive 55 much less 75.




The Pits.
Get it?
This was on FM radio as I left the rainy funeral of an aunt back then.
In my 69 Coronet 500.
I always remember that.

 

[DeltaV]

Wouldn't be surprised to see it come back soon. Everything seems to be trending back towards the days of the Carter administration.

You might be remembering when the Carter Administration was trying to go metric...like speed limit signs in kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour.

Oops... Gerald Ford that signed that Act.

 

[padam]

There was a lot that sucked about that whole era.

 

[DeltaV]

 

[wahya]

There was a lot that sucked about that whole era.

There was, but I think that there is a lot that sucks about modern times. Btw, do you know who signed the law ending 55 national limit?
On second thought, you might not want to go there.

 

[threewood]

I remember the tail end of it. Early 80's cars had 55 on the dash painted orange so it stuck out. Sucked when we were on vacation in AZ with wide open roads going slow as mollases.

 

[Cojohnso1]

I think 55 can be a dangerous speed. It's slow enough so one feels safe and free for other than driving duties. But certainly fast enough to kill you. Ever notice how much more focused you are at 75?

 

[padam]

I got so many tickets back then for 68 in a 55.

 

[Ron H]

Bad memories of those days. Ticket going 70 on the x-way getting called into work on a weekend emergency. Another ticket going 65 in 55 zone…despite the 65 sign being next to where I pulled over.

Drove the Challenger to FL with my future wife during this period (1200 miles) and kept it like 9 mph over (no cruise on it). Part of the trip was picking up my dad as he flew down there to visit/golf with his old work bud who retired there. My dad was a type B, but behind the wheel always in a mad hurry. Driving home, we switched driving, going straight through, at gas stops. He’d drive 75-80 and got peeved once waking up saying it should be time for him to drive. I said “Hey dad ya know you’re burning the gas a lot more than I am.” I was more cautious then as I was driving on slim points as it was. And pop had to have some driving brews with his smokes, lol. Yep, 55 in the wide open spaces – painful.

 

[toolmanmike]

I think 55 can be a dangerous speed. It's slow enough so one feels safe and free for other than driving duties. But certainly fast enough to kill you. Ever notice how much more focused you are at 75?

I am, most aren't

 

[toolmanmike]

Most of our interstates here are 75 like across the country. Most everyone drives 10 over and many 90+. A lot happens real quick when you are driving that fast. Then you add cell phone use (distracted driving) and lane alert on cars now days
(a false sense of security when you are sleepy or distracted) and you are asking for disaster.

 

[Cojohnso1]

I got so many tickets back then for 68 in a 55.

I'm betting 68 was your car's comfort speed? (I think it's in the gas pedal.) I have an '03 Mustang Cobra. 400 supercharged HP. But in 6th gear just cruising down the road? It likes 62 MPH. My '14 twin turbo 6cyl Cadillac at 410 HP? Likes 74 MPH. '69 GTX 400 HP 4th gear? Likes 64 MPH. It's comfort with the right foot in conjunction with engine sound.

So of the 3 400 HP street cars. Which is faster? That was an interesting contest. According to GPS 1/4 tracker? Mustang 13.2. Cadillac 13.6. GTX 14.0. It's clearly the 6 speed trans out performing 4 speed. At the end of 1/4? The 440 is now in its power band (and PISSED OFF!) easily runs down the other 2 by 1/2 mi.

 

[Dibbons]

The claim that 55 MPH was fuel-saving was definitely not true across the board. I drove a 1970 Porsche 914 with a 1.7 liter four cylinder VW engine (fuel injected) from 1980 to 1990. This was a 5 speed where both fourth and fifth were overdrive. In order to use 5th gear on flat terrain, I needed to run at least 65 MPH in order for the little four-cylinder to pull in the proper RPM range. Vehicle highway consumption was 29 miles per gallon (in fifth 65+ MPH).

 

[Cojohnso1]

Most of our interstates here are 75 like across the country. Most everyone drives 10 over and many 90+. A lot happens real quick when you are driving that fast. Then you add cell phone use (distracted driving) and lane alert on cars now days
(a false sense of security when you are sleepy or distracted) and you are asking for disaster.

Cell phones are the new problem. In the 70s and 80s it was impairment most likely due to alcohol. But today? Distraction. And these damn cell phones!

 

[Cojohnso1]

The claim that 55 MPH was fuel-saving was definitely not true across the board. I drove a 1970 Porsche 914 with a 1.7 liter four cylinder VW engine (fuel injected) from 1980 to 1990. This was a 5 speed where both fourth and fifth were overdrive. In order to use 5th gear on flat terrain, I needed to run at least 65 MPH in order for the little four-cylinder to pull in the proper RPM range. Vehicle highway consumption was 29 miles per gallon (in fifth 65+ MPH).

It helped a little. Not as much as intent. The biggest loss was to trucking. Productivity loss that of course ultimately gets passed on to consumers.

 

[Ron H]

It helped a little. Not as much as intent. The biggest loss was to trucking. Productivity loss that of course ultimately gets passed on to consumers.

In my experience, as posted earlier - there was a difference in gas consumption btw fill ups; but my Challenger wasn't exactly setup as a great highway cruiser either.