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Even as gasoline prices approach $4, no 'political traction' for

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), May 6, 2008 by Andy Rosen

Experts agree: Drivers can save money if they slow down when they're driving on the highway. Though highway gas mileage is almost always higher than city mileage, that difference largely comes from the stop-and-go pace of in-town traffic.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy, fuel economy begins to decline precipitously at around 60 mph, and drivers can save between 7 and 23 percent by slowing down a little bit.

But don't expect the government to step in and require drivers to reduce speeds like it did during the fuel crisis of the 1970s, when the feds mandated a limit of 55 mph on interstate highways. Even as gas prices inch toward $4 per gallon, state and federal officials say they have not heard much discussion about a move back to 55, but there is conversation about the virtue of slowing down.

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"I think it would be a good idea, but I don't think it would have much political traction," said Maryland Sen. Brian E. Frosh, D- Montgomery. Frosh is chairman of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, which generally reviews highway safety legislation.

Frosh, as a member of the House of Delegates, opposed a measure to raise the state speed limit to 65 mph in 1995. He said he hasn't heard any discussion of the matter, but thinks a change would be unpopular because people like to go fast, and do not want to waste time on the highway.

That is the argument employed by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington that opposed the 55 mph speed limit from its 1974 inception to its repeal in the mid-1990s.

"It presumes that time is of no value, which is an absolute absurdity," said Senior Research Fellow Ron Utt. He said there is plenty of oil to make gasoline, so there doesn't need to be a mandate to conserve it.

Speed limit policy on interstates has been the states' responsibility since the federal cap -- raised to 65 in some areas during the 1980s -- was removed. Gasoline consumption did flatten slightly during the time that speeds were held at 55, though.

Still, a group of congressional Republicans, including Western Maryland Rep. Roscoe Bartlett and Eastern Shore Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest, has suggested that drivers should be educated about ways to cut down on fuel consumption.

"Basic conservation and efficiency measures such as maintaining speeds of not more than 55 miles per hour and proper tire inflation can make an immediate difference, slowing gasoline consumption and saving consumers money," the group wrote in a letter last month to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Lisa Wright, spokeswoman for Bartlett, said he is not calling for a change to the law, but it might help if drivers would choose to go slower.

"Because we have a new generation of drivers, they may not be aware of the savings that they would get from driving at a slower speed," Wright said.

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton discussed the idea of reverting to 55 before she began her run for the White House, but it has not become a major issue in a Democratic primary campaign that has increasingly focused on fuel prices in recent weeks.

Speed limits are often tied in with road safety, but according to the Maryland State Highway Administration, a lower speed on an interstate does not always lead to a safer road.

"Research has shown that the posted speed limit has little effect on the speeds at which most motorists drive. Raising the speed limit does not significantly raise the speeds at which motorists drive, and lowering the limit generally does not appreciably decrease their speeds," the administration writes on its Web site.

The administration is not discussing any wholesale changes to state speed limits, said spokesman David Buck. He said a change of that magnitude would likely have to originate in the General Assembly.

It could be even more dangerous if drivers slow down by their own volition, said Utt, of the Heritage Foundation. That's why many interstates have a minimum speed as well as a maximum, he said.

"If the speed limit on an interstate highway outside of an urban area is 70 miles per hour, then somebody going 55 is a hazard," he said.

Tim Castleman, of Sacramento, Calif., heads a group called Drive 55, which ships bumper stickers around the country advocating that drivers stick to the old speed limit. He said he believes roads would be safer if people would just slow down.

"It's way more important than the price of gas, because it's environmental, economic, security," he said. "All of these things are interrelated with this."

Castleman, who works as an Internet consultant and advocates for Drive 55 in his spare time, said he's tried a political approach to reducing speed limits, and has traveled to Washington to push the issue.

But he said he hasn't seen much political will for the change, so he will continue to try to get people to change their ways voluntarily.

"We're urging all drivers to simply observe existing speed limits, never exceeding 55 miles per hour," he said. "We did it for decades, so we know what happens."

Even as gasoline prices approach $4, no 'political traction' for

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), May 6, 2008 by Andy Rosen

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