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Catman check again. It is next to impossible for any production car (not specially built) to get better or the same mileage at the two speeds.
I understand the physics, and I agree. I stated that my little Mazda gets virtually the same mileage (not quite as good), but it is quite areodynamic. We're on the same page. Pickups generally have very poor aerodynamics.
What business is it of the government to force energy conservation? The law of supply/demand in pricing will take care of this naturally. I don't even think there should be a speed limit except in areas where there are safety reasons for it. If you got basically flat terrain with a straight road -- go whatever speed you want. I think the primary reason for the limits is revenue generation via ticketing.
NM should definitely raise the limit to whatever they can.
What business is it of the government to force energy conservation?
And out of the other side of people's mouths, why isn't the government doing what it can to lower prices at the pump? (The two are connected)
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I don't even think there should be a speed limit except in areas where there are safety reasons for it.
Interesting. Where is safety not important?
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If you got basically flat terrain with a straight road -- go whatever speed you want. I think the primary reason for the limits is revenue generation via ticketing.
In spots, I'll definitely agree with that. I'd much rather they did away with the revenue-generation zones in places like Lordsburg, Deming, Gallup, and 10min north of Las Cruces, leaving it at 75, than did any statewide thing.
Old-Larry, I know most if not all cars burn more fuel at 75 mph than 65, but 30% more? That seems rather extreme. My little Mazda gets virtually the same mileage at the two speeds. I always check my mpg with every refueling.
As has every car I've driven in the past 10 years. Actually, I drove an 8-cylinder Lincoln LS that got max mileage (26 mpg) at ~72 mph. It was an absolute dog off the highway, but on, it was a beast.
And herein lies the actual issue - most new(er) vehicles perform better on the highway in that 65-75 mph window. Since gas prices have risen, I get on the highway every chance I get to maximize my average mileage. Of course it sounds counter-intuitive but driving at high speeds actually means that I am, in reality, conserving gas.
Anyway, back to the OP, raising it to 80 mph will be barely perceptible to most people driving those highways.
Of course it sounds counter-intuitive but driving at high speeds actually means that I am, in reality, conserving gas.
The reason highways (or more aptly freeways) conserve gas is you're not wasting energy on your brakes or on accelerating from stop.
For many vehicles, you use the same amount of gas cruising for >2 miles at 55mph as you do stopping and starting from 55, once.
Unless your vehicle is very poorly designed, you will save significant amounts of gas over the life of your vehicle by cruising at 65 vs 75, and at 75 vs 85. Most of the gas you are burning at those speeds is going toward pushing the air out of the way, and the air is more stubborn the faster you go.
If our government was somehow able to figure out how to remove 30% of all stoplights and stopsigns (without, say, having to replace each one with stack interchanges), it could achieve far greater conservation numbers than dropping interstate speed limits would, and without annoying people in a hurry.
If you reset the gas mileage indicator on my car there is virtually no difference between 65, 75, or 85. There is a slight degradation at speeds higher than that, I am assuming at very high speeds it drops significantly.
I know I have done a similar thread in the past, however, this thread is to know your opinion on where do you think 80 mph speed limits should be introduced if the state were to allow it. There are currently two states in the U.S. that allow 80 mph speed limits, those states are Texas and Utah.
Here is where I would put 80 mph speed limits:
I-25 between Las Cruces and Socorro.
I-25 between Las Vegas and Raton.
I-40 between Albuquerque (west of Unser exit) and Grants (this stretch actually has a minimum speed limit).
US 70 through White Sands (the only 75 mph non-interstate stretch of highway in New Mexico).
Does anyone have their own opinions on where the state should introduce 80 mph speed limits if the state were to allow it?
The problem is that this state's speed limits are too damn HIGH as it is. Most New Mexicans have older cars which were built back in the days when the maximum speeds were 55. Our cars can't "keep up with the flow of traffic" if 80mph speeds are actually ALLOWED. You're proposing basically outlawing older, slower, CHEAPER (in a state with an 80% poverty rate!) cars. Hell no. I recently got pulled over for going "too slow" so I'm going to fight to have the speed limits LOWERED back down to SAFETY. Nothing over 55 is SAFE, people. And 55 is the best speed for not wasting gas.
States which have higher maximum speeds also have posted "MINIMUM" speeds so that people in older/slower cars stand a fighting chance of not getting ridiculous tickets for "impeding the flow of traffic." Traffic shouldn't be allowed to "flow" at dangerously high speeds. I LIKE my Geo Metro. I will not have it basically, in a nutshell, outlawed for me to drive it.
As a potential resident I suggest that 75 is an adequate speed limit with a 5 to 10 mph buffer zone on enforcement. Here in the relatively crowded Northeast we manage with some speed limits over 70 without too many problems.
One potential problem with driving at relatively high speeds is encounters with domestic or wild animals. Hitting a White Tail deer at over 50 will wreak your car. Hitting a Moose at the same speed is likely to kill you. I think the same effects would happen if the creatures were an antelope or a steer or bison.
The problem is less time to react between sighting the creature and the increased stopping distance created by the higher speed.
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