All right, America, it’s time to have a very serious talk about our energy problems. As much as we may want to blame the President, OPEC, “Big Oil” or any other number of nefarious entities for driving up our prices at the pump, we truly have only ourselves to blame. The biggest reason fuel prices are rising so dramatically is that supply is not increasing (and may be decreasing) while demand is rising sharply. With rapidly progressive economies in India and China, there just isn’t as much oil to go around as there used to be. Unless we find a way to change this equation, high fuel prices are here to stay.
It’s little wonder that in this turbulent political climate, where both political parties are ferociously battling for control of the nation’s highest office, this issue is near the top of the political agenda. Politicians have proposed measures from “gas tax holidays”; to approval for offshore drilling; to a renewed focus (whatever that means) on alternative energy research - all in an effort to win the endorsement of the American people. Yet most of these ideas are either fundamentally flawed (specifically the idea of a gas tax holiday), or will require years to implement.
Most difficult problems in life require substantial sacrifice to resolve. As a general rule, there is no “easy out”. Nevertheless, there is a solution to this crisis which is remarkably simple and requires very little in the way of substantial sacrifice. Sound too good to be true? Well…maybe it is. Though simple, this solution would require us to break one of our most basic addictions - speed. The best way for us to immediately bring gas prices down, and send a message to the oil producing nations of the world, is to lower our national speed limits.
I can’t believe I’m actually advocating this; after all, this is coming from a guy who enjoys cruising in his sports sedan at about 80 mph on the freeway (remarkably, I’ve only been ticketed twice in my life). Let me state unequivocally that I would hate - even loathe - being forced to drive at a measly 50 or 55 mph. Nevertheless, I hate this nation’s dependence on foreign oil, as well as the damage sustained by our economy due to skyrocketing fuel prices, even more.
Lowering the speed limit will almost instantaneously drop fuel prices. Most vehicles are designed to get their best gas mileage at 50 to 55 mph, and fuel efficiency drops off sharply beyond that. By lowering highway and freeway speed limits from 65 to 55 or even 50 (yikes), Americans could continue to drive as much as they are now but gas consumption would go down considerably. As the demand for gas decreases, so will the price. Thus, we’ll be paying less for gas and using less of it at the same time!
But wait! There’s another significant benefit to lowering the speed limit: safety. Studies have proven that fewer accidents occur at speeds between 50 and 60 mph than 60 mph and above. Beyond saving lives, however, reducing the total number accidents will allow us to ease up on safety regulations for automobiles. Don’t misunderstand - I’m not advocating that we abandon safety standards. Nevertheless, the safer you want an automobile to be, the bigger and heavier you have to make it. This tends to wreak havoc on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Lower safety standards equal lighter cars, such as those found in Europe and Japan. In America, we tend to think that a car that gets 30 mpg has great fuel efficiency - but in parts of the world where are vehicles are smaller and lighter, it’s not uncommon to see efficiencies as high as 40 to 50 mpg!
Those who oppose lower speed limits will argue that anyone who wants to reap the fuel savings of driving 50 or 55 mph on the freeway is welcome to drive in the right lane. Nevertheless, for this plan to have any significant impact on overall fuel prices everyone must participate. It’s time for us to send a message to the world that we will not be held hostage by foreign oil. Significantly decreasing our fuel consumption is the only way to immediately achieve this.
When we think of the greatest generations in this country’s history, one common thread binds them all - sacrifice. We reverence those morning souls who made painful and difficult choices so that we could enjoy abundance and prosperity in the afternoon. Ultimately, our decisions now regarding oil consumption will reverberate for generations to come. Though difficult for us, a continuing dependence on foreign oil will likely have disastrous consequences for our posterity. How will our children remember us if we squander their future in part because we couldn’t cut back a little on our speed? Personally, I’d rather not know.
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