drive 55 was a good program and we need to return to it.

Anyone wanting a national 55 MPH limit either does not drive or has no brains. In 1974 my car was lucky to get 9 MPG. Today the same brand (Corvette) with double the horsepower gets 30 MPG so you cannot compare then and today. Fact is cars get better mileage at 65 MPH then at 55 as going too slow cannot move the mass/weight and requires more fuel to move it. . Some of the crap caused by the 55 MPH was tire makers who knowning no one in the USA could go faster then 55 MPH degraded the tires for higher profit and we ended up with many dying with tires blowing out and causing rollovers. . . Idiots believe anything they are told when it is nothing more then a stupid move to repeat the past as it being the cure and we know 55 MPH did not fix the high costs of gas, did it ?

This solves nothing, but makes the politicnas look like they doing something. Classic politcal (read EMPTY) maneuver! Buy a hybrid, take the bus, carpool... but don't count on Washington to solve ANYTHING!!! If they didn't have problems to perpetuate, they'd actually have to WORK for a living like the rest of us!

It's obvious that the so called "experts" in Washington haven't a clue as to what reducing the speed limit would do. First of all at a reduced speed, wouldn't we be spending more time on the road burning gas? And secondly, at a time when most of us are already streatched to the limit trying to get everything crammed into one day, most of it being getting everyone up well before the crack of dawn and getting us all to school & work and then back home and off the to other projects such as sports practice, a second job, community meetings, etc. if we're really lucky we might have time to inhale something that remotely passes for a meal. And then you have those folks that have to get up even earlier because they have to drive 50 miles or more to get to work. Gee, maybe we should just get ready for work the night before and sleep sitting up since at a slower speed we now have to allow an extra half to an hour to get to our destination and I believe burning more gas. Thirdly, all this does it add more stress and harship to our daily lives, it saves nothing.
Most people are already taking steps to reduce their use of gasoline.
If the govenment really wants to do something productive and protect the American people, then quit protecting the damn oil companies in this country and force them to be responsible in less than .20 years As long as they are bedpartners with the "government," and I use that term loosely, nothing is going to change and the very people that put them in office are going to suffer. Particularly when you have a president that is their best friend. Isn't that a conflict of interest?

This is not the solution! The public can only take so much of the bullsh-- and irresponsibily of government. Start cleaning up your act and start being a govenment for "all" the people, not just the ones that can pad your wallets. If you don't, your way of doing business is going to backfire and bite you in the ass. Then we'll see how you cope. You'll be taking lessons from those of us who already know how.

A reduced speed limit of 65 mph would be very helpful in reducing fuel consumption. It is a conservation method that everyone can participate in and have an immediate impact. For all those who think that this will add significant time in traveling, DO THE MATH. We are talking an additional two minutes drive time if you have a forty mile commute when you compare driving 70 versus 65 mph. This is a relatively painless step all people can take to help our situation. This costs nothing but two minutes and puts money in your pocket as well as reduces demand for oil which in turn reduces fuel costs.

He's only repeating what's on the AAA autoclub website to reduce your gas bill. From what I see on the interstate alot of people could give a hoot about how much they pay for gas, zoom on by at 80-85 miles an hour.
It's probably Bush's elite, they got the money to fill their tanks as much as they want.

Carpooling or a mass-transit infrastructure are better ideas. Lowering the speed limit will only have a modest impact in all likelihood, but it is an idea worth studying.

David Palmer is right. Obama is trying hard to immitate him.

I thought republicans were free marketers. So why is this republican trying to infringe on our pursuit of happiness? We don't have a gas shortage which is why the drive 55 law was instituted before. The price of gas is simply too high.

It is my recollection that when we raised the speed limit the economy immeadiately improved... Less time on the road, more time to make money... The pace of things picks up...

With that said, reasonable people can deal with 65...

But I can't drive 55!

RGJ/Dallas112263

The 55 mph speed limit sucks. It was bad policy back in 1974 and it is a bad idea today.

Dear Senator Warner, a better idea, how about offering incentives to companies to go to a 4 day work week (10 hour days) instead. It is pretty well given that a day devoted to work is pretty well no good to do other activities such as pursue recreation. This would save 20% of the fuel consumed for commuters especially those in the large metro areas who spend about 2 hours commuting each day or each way. As an added benefit, it gives people a 3 day weekend. More time to do other things such as spend time with family and something that goes against our puritanical closed mindedness, enjoy life !

Worst Idea Since Hitler!

This is seriously the worst idea since Hitler thought it was a good idea to kill millions of people and take over the world. Lowering speed limits really has not true pros, and have many cons.

Cons:
1) Would increase congestion and traffic jams as more cars would be on the road for longer periods of time.
2) Would decrease gas efficiency as more cars are idling or moving 5 to 10 MPH on the freeway, which is MUCH, MUCH, much more inefficient than going 80MPH.
3) Would waste law enforement's time to enforce ridiculous rules.
4) Speed Limits are already way too arbitrarily and artificially low!
5) Using a "Gas Wastage Tax" of $10,000 for every accident caused by an at-fault driver would be a much better idea. Driver's who cause wrecks and accidents causing log/traffic jams are much more at-fault and liable for wasted gas. I say we fine the bad drivers $10K for each incident, with the proceeds going towards subsidizing gas for the rest of us folks who don't cause wrecks, accidents, and traffic jams.

Average trip of 1000 miles

At 55 MPH = 18.18 hours
At 75 MPH = 13. 3 hours

So the savings I made driving 55 will be eat up by extra meals, maybe an extra motel says...etc..

This does not address the main issue of dependance on foreign oil. More crap from Washington, as usual.