Increasing Maxium Speed Limit Bad Move

You gotta drive 75 – or less.

State Department of Transportation officials in Texas recently announced that they plan to suggest increasing the maximum speed limit on parts of Interstates 10 and Interstate 20 from 75 mph to 80 mph in 10 West Texas counties.

Just last year, the state Legislature passed language that enabled motorists to drive 75 mph on those highways. On a federal level, it has been more than 55 mph since the mid 1990s.

Things have continued to change in that regard during the course of the last 25-30 years.

I remember the dashboard in my parents' maroon and orange mid-1980s Chevrolet Chevette had a noticeable number in its circular casing. The numeral was a light orange and it was vastly over sized compared to the others.

It read, 55 mph. And the tiny economy car was not unique – not by a long shot.

Carter-era automobiles were characteristically manufactured with with a dashboard containing speedometer gages sought to remind motorists of the national maximum speed limit.

During the Carter administration, and certainly during the ensuing Reagan years, there were primarily two focal points in terms of motor vehicle use – fuel economy and, with it, safety.

America was plagued with damaging fuel costs, and it included gasoline.

“By the mid-1980s, rational consumer reaction to high prices - home insulation, fuel-efficient appliances and lighter cars - had actually solved the energy crisis. We had OPEC on the run. In July 1986, oil plunged to $7 a barrel,” as explained in a New York Daily News article dated May 2004.

Just consider the problems with crude oil flirting around (and more than at times) the $70 per barrel mark. Gasoline prices have shot through the roof (between $2.85 to $2.90 for unleaded grade as of the week of May 21). The trend has been headed in that direction last couple of years and, significantly so, in the last year. One year ago, the national average was $2.11. 

According to gasbuddy.com, the average price for a gallon of low grade gasoline was $2.77 per gallon in Texas.