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I always drive about 9 miles an hour over the speed limit on highways. I have never received a ticket for doing so. Believe me, I am not the only one doing so.
FWIW - As a hopefully future New Mexican, I would comment that the speed limits here in the tiny State of New Hampshire are 65 on the Interstates and 55 most everywhere else outside of the built up areas and towns. Most people that drive at these speeds get run over by everyone else. The effective speeds on the Interstates are 75 to 80 and 60 to 70 on the rural roads. I have been passed by police cars while driving 75 in a 65 zone and stopped while driving 25 in a 30 zone but that cop was trolling for drunks.
When I was in NM I was driving the interstates and other roads at 75 or so and felt quite comfortable with those speeds. I have to question a 80 limit because if you add the typical 10 mph people will be driving near 90 and I really wonder haw many folks actually know how to drive that fast. On at least one really back road 15 seemed excessive in places. That was State Rt 159.
But what if the 80 mph vehicle is a diesel automobile getting 40 mpg
at that speed. A big pickup might not get even 20 mpg at 50 mph.
In the case of freight-carrying trucks, time is money and it is probably
cheaper to drive faster and pay the extra fuel bills.
I'm for letting drivers make the financial decision to drive fast or not.
Of course, I'm also for jacking up the fuel taxes to European levels.
That same diesel vehicle probably gets much better mpg at a lower rate of speed.
I bet it is less expensive to haul-@ss in the case of long-haul truckers, but they're mpg is already pretty low. I imagine after a decade or so, diesel prices may help truckers justify a more efficient approach to cross-country travel.
I'm not for letting drivers make the financial decision to drive fast or not. Gasoline/diesel is a national/global resource, it's not up to the go-fast community to determine the rate at which it is used. I think it's fair game to regulate the amount used. Heck, I think you should have to get a permit to own/drive an F-150 or larger (no, owning recreational equipment is not a good reason, you can rent a truck).
Of course, a Euro tax schedule would fix a lot of what I've stated...
Euro diesel taxes would put most of the trucks on the railroad.
Sweet.
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