Well. it looks like State politicians are in a hurry and they want you to speed up to get out of the way.
We all do it, scream at the car in front of you, going slow in the wrong lane, because either you’re running late or you just want to get wherever you need to be.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love driving fast especially on a road trip and it’s not because I’m trying to beat the ETA on the GPS either. However, the increase in question is not what you may believe it to be.
There are some States that want to do away with speed differentials, meaning they want passenger vehicles and tractor trailers to travel the same speed as currently those big bad truckers have to drive 10mph slower than passenger cars.
Yet the change of heart ain’t so equal for all roads and highways, nope, just like life in general it’s only good for selective stretches of road.
Hey I’m all good with raising speed limits and what-not but let’s be real about this and let’s get people to learn to drive correctly first and then let’s talk about changing some road rules.
I don’t just mean passenger vehicles and big trucks, yeppers, I’m talking to motorcyclists as well
Look I’ve always said if a State wants to raise more cash, make people retake their driver’s tests when they are renewing their driver’s license. And I say this because people, not all, are morons behind the wheel.
Two great examples: School and Construction Zones!
Actually, with the School Zones we can add School Bus stops as well. Think about! How many times do you see someone flying thru a School Zone?
I can attest I see it daily when I’m picking my son up from school. and per Pennsylvania law, if busted the first offense is a $500 fine plus 3 points (ya get a total of 6 points) taken off your license, while the second offense is a loss of license for 60 days.
Is it worth going 15 mph for practically 75-100 yards to loss $500?
Is it worth losing your license because you’re too impatient to wait a minute or so for ‘lil Toby or ‘lil Lizzy to cross the street?
But here’s a kicker, if caught speeding in a work/construction zone on a first offense, it’s only a written warning. A second and third offense will cost you $150.
I know I know, i hate driving behind tractor trailers to and yeppers if it’s possible I’ll speed up around them especially when there’s a hill coming up, but just remember these folks are doing a service while being the most by more laws.
Now to my motorcyclists’ friends out there, you have every right to the pavement as me, yet there are some of you that need to get back on the training wheels and stop driving between vehicles as we sit in the same traffic. Or better yet whipping in/out of lanes to go further than the rest.
You always see the window/bumper stickers to watch out for motorcyclists, well maybe they need to heed some road rules also.
There’s a reason we have speed limits to begin with; there are morons out there and most are distracted with all the gadgets in today’s vehicles.
Quiet with the Liberal Tree Hugging Enviro Gas Hating talking points because a bit o’history shows us that POTUS Dickie Nixon slap the 55 mph speed limit across the nation during the 1973 fuel embargo to help Americans learn to conserve fuel or shall i say “become fuel efficient” to help curb the thirst for foreign fuel.
Wait a minute, where in the Land were those “Drill Here Drill Now” chants back then?
Weren’t cars less fuel efficient in 70’s compared to today?
Reading an article/chart from the US Energy Info Admin, from 1970 to 2010 the difference between average MPG between passenger cars and trucks hasn’t change all that much;
1970 passenger car = 13.5 truck = 10
1980 passenger car = 16 truck = 10
1990 passenger car = 20.2 truck = 16.1
2000 passenger car = 21.9 truck = 17.4
2010 passenger car = 23.5 truck = 17.2
IN 40 YEARS IT TOOK AUTO COMPANIES TO GET YOU AN ADDITIONAL 10 MPG!!!
But the Pew Research Center says that between 1975 – 2010 the numbers are different with a complete doubling of the average MPG.
What was the old saying “by reducing your speed you can improve your MPG by 15%” or something like that, so why do these politicians want you to drive faster when gas prices are still hovering around $3.67/gallon (as of 4/23 per AAA)?
We went from “conserving your fuel” to “drill here drill now” to beat foreign oil pricing, yet we ain’t drilling, people are commuting less to work thanks to remote working, and cars/trucks should be way more fuel efficient than they were two decades ago (which by the way the average car gets 25.4 MPG as of 2021).
Here’s a fun fact, I’m not an electric car fan but you might be thinking so after reading to this point.
So go ahead State politicians, raise the speed but you aint saving me any more money by increasing the MPH, although you are helping me get the coffee shop faster so I can sit still, burn fuel waiting at the drive thru for my coffeekegger refill!
That’s it, slap the tap, pass the overly salted stale peanut bowl and laugh at the hipster plugging in his electric car (Oh BTW, the average distance range between and electric car vs petrol car is an equal 300 miles)
CHEERS!
