75 Is The New 55

Don’t get too excited about 75 being the new 55, it’s not an age related thing, but a new driving limit on America’s highways.   If you live in Maine there is now a stretch of I-95 that had the speed limit raised from 65 to 75.  Maine becomes the first state east of the Mississippi River to raise the limit to 75.  Ohio and Indiana have 70 mph limits on I-80, but 75 in Maine is a first for an eastern state.  Western states that have smaller populations have had 75 for some time, and you can even find an 85 mph limit in Texas, which does not surprise me, it being Texas and all.  Not wanting to talk about age here, but I remember when President Carter had the national speed limit lowered to 55 in order to cut our oil imports.  It didn’t last for too long, but it was a good idea if you were not in a hurry to get to your next destination.  Truckers think the sweet spot for fuel economy is between 62 and 65 mph, and feel that 65 should be the national speed limit.  Trucks that drive through 75 mph zones are told by their owners to drive at 65 tops to save on fuel costs.  We too should be driving at a lower speed limit for fuel economy, and for safety.  The laws of physics don’t change too much at higher speeds, it just happens faster when you get into an accident.

Photo Credit: John Vlahakis