The title of this thread is What if gas goes sky high???

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I always thought $3/gal would have scared the country to death. But it’s funny how John Q public accepts a new plateau. Now a $4/gal step would introduce shock for awhile, truck drivers would threaten a national strike, politicians and the news media would make a BIG deal about it for several months, and many people with gas guzzlers would put them up for sale. But the vast majority of people would continue their aggressive driving styles, and remain totally ignorant about fuel conservation techniques. People are in just too big a hurry.

IMO, the few people who take note and alter driving styles, at least for awhile, will eventually return to the same gas guzzling driving habits they have today. People would complain, and then drive with the pedal to the metal, stomp on the brakes to stop, and complain why their cars get ‘poor mileage’, but do nothing to correct their driving habits. That’s sad. We should be bombarded with public service announcements on TV about driving styles and techniques, and try to educate the country.

I’d personally wouldn’t object to a national 55mph speed limit, and have it strictly enforced. How would you do that: Every state adopt a $1000 fine, 1st offense, and a $2000 fine and a 3-month revocation of license on 2nd offense. I don’t think you would see a 3d offense.

And why do I advocate revocation of license. In Great Britain for instance, they discovered that the wealthy folks were oblivious to strict drinking/driving and speeding laws if the only penalty was a huge fine. But losing their driving license was a big deal. So combine the two penalties.

This would do more to save fuel than a fleet of hybrid or small engine cars, but I would love to see a trend toward smaller, lighter, LESS powerful cars for the driving masses. Cars that weigh < 2000 lbs, have a 80hp, 3 or 4 cyl engine, coupled with a 5 or 6sp manual transmission, with a low coefficient of drag, can easily get 50mph or more on the highway, even if it’s not a hybrid. Imagine what small hybrids and/or PHEV’s could do?

 

The same thing in New Zealand where I lived for six years. They also had a twist where repeat offenses increased the fine part abouth three times faster that the loss of license, and jail time after three offences. Surprisingly, they were very forgiving for first offenses -- even drove folks home and transported their cars home for them. But don't get caught doing it again -- not nearly so pleasant!

 

I read an article recently about many cars that got 50mpg in the 80's: the Honda CRX, VW Rabbit, Ford Fiesta, etc. The problem is with more stringent safety regulations, these cars could never now be sold in the US. Safety equipment that started out as optional and for the high-end market (like airbags, ABS, traction control) typically becomes mandated equipment on all vehicles within a decade's time.

I don't know about a 55mph speed limit though. Sometimes in my car I've been able to get up to 72mph on a flat grade with no wind and still be well above 50mpg. It is possible sometimes to have your cake and eat it too.

We should be bombarded with public service announcements about driving techniques I agree. And I think the problem may just be ignorance and not driver nonchalance. My last car didn't have an instant mpg meter and I know from my current one that the way I was driving it was probably very suboptimal for fuel efficiency.

 

what will go sky high first-the gas or the gas taxs or both.Some news I read was talking about just rasing gas taxe for road improvments!

 

Yeah that's brilliant. Instead of taking me 10 hours to drive from Denver to Salt Lake City, it would take 15. I can hardly wait.

How about you Coastal people stop dictating what the middle states do? How about letting the big, largely empty states decide *for themselves* how fast the speed should be? We don't all live within spitting distance of a mall. It can sometimes take an hour even at 75 miles per hour.

Citizens living in the coastal anthills - you can slow down to 55.

Us citizens in the middle will continue doing 75. We NEED to drive fast because we have so much ground to cover, and we want to do our shopping in ONE day, not two.

 

The relationship to speed vs time is greatly exaggerated.

I drive 50 miles to work about 55-63MPH and costs only a few minutes but gain over 15MPG. It's more perception than fact. Surely there is less thrill at lower speeds, and I understand the "I can't drive 55" attitude.

On the other hand, I know if I'm traveling hundreds of miles I'll speed up a bit. Proposing a new 55MPH Federal law would be political suicide, and rightly so.

Even if gas increased a few dollars some people still "wouldn't get it" regarding saving fuel $$ and speed, but most would. I became efficient back in 2004 when gas was $1.25 and the number of us driving for economy have multiplied several times over. I see it every day on the road.

I don't see the need for a law. Prices will take care of that on its own.

-Steve

 

When we were living in the DC area, I often remember wondering on I-66, I-70, I-95 and I-495 (the beltway,) "What happened to the minimum 45 mph limit???" I was especially amused by the 'standing waves' . . . those places where cars approach at nearly the speed limit and then come to a dead stop before accelerating back to the speed limit.

Bob Wilson

 

Agree that a significant increase in fuel $$$ will have an effect. At least for awhile. Public service announcements would have a great effect too, as they did with tobacco use, drinking/driving, seat belt laws, etc. These issues were hammered into our heads repeatedly on TV, radio, and billboards.

But how often have you seen anything talking about driving techniques and fuel savings? How many people realize the dramatic fuel consumption penalty required to accelerate a dead weight vehicle to speed under heavy throttle? Or how efficient it is to coast to the red light ahead, instead of barreling down full speed, then slamming on the brakes.

Makes me wonder now how politically important the 'energy crisis' around the world is. Obviously record oil company profits doesn't upset congress as much as baseball player's reported steroid use. Go figure.

 

Its okay. I don't think big oil's record profits are going to last. None but Marathon are increasing their capital expenditures so they're just buying back shares and giving away huge dividends. There just aren't enough projects out there for them to get any bigger.

So for any buying big oil stocks you better be doing it for dividends only because there is no growth potential there.

It's big oil's twilight really. Let them have their limelight as their business model is not sustainable. Anyone who thinks 20 years from now they will have these sort of profits off oil isn't taking a hard look at the facts.