Category: drive 55

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Drive 55

A number of months ago I sent out a newsletter with information about why driving 55 is great for our wallets and the planet. Now congress is considering reinstating a national driving speed limit of 55 as a quick way to help deal with our current energy crisis. If we all cut our speed, gas prices would also come down (per the law of supply and demand…less demand, more supply, VOILA lower prices.) I personally think going back to a national speed limit of 55 (as was done during the last energy crisis) is is a FANTASTIC idea…one of my newsletter readers and friends wrote this about his recent switch to driving 55 (note has been edited for simplicity with emphasis added by me):

Hey Alegre, Finally getting around to telling you about my driving 55mph experience which was spurred on by your email awhile back. After receiving your email about driving 55mph to save gas I wanted to relay my real life experience of doing just that. I drive a late 90s Volvo 940 and it is not the most efficient car but its what I have. In the past when I drove like Sammy Hagar I would get around 300-310 miles per tank. When I started driving like Jimmy Carter I started realizing that I was getting over 400 miles per tank (400-415) before having to fill up again. (25% increase! -Ed.) I was very impressed by the increased gas mileage but what made it equally as interesting for me was that what kind of awareness it opened up for me. Driving like Jimmy Carter you start to realize how many Sammy Hagar’s there are out there and how crazy we drive. It also is much more calming, less stressful and I often catch up gleefully to the jerk that is driving like a nut, flipping me the bird, wasting gas, and endangering lives to get to where they are going 5 minutes earlier. Justice! Anyway, hope this helps, feel free to post and edit or do what you. And keep up the great work. Cheers! Kevin

So please please please, do your part and drive 55!

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Calculate the Cost (Dollars) of your Commute

I just love this calculator: http://www.commutesolutions.org/calc.htm

It easily calculates the costs of driving your car. When I used to commute to work I took the bus and according to this website saved about $10,000 a year doing so (that’s some major dinero.) Another great way to save money? Drive 55MPH. See this blog about why that is such an awesome way to reduce your carbon footprint by 20% (minimum) and put some serious cash in your pocket too: http://green-and-greener.blogspot.com/2008/03/save-planet.html

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Save the Planet…Drive 55

Want an easy, pain-free, wallet-happy way to cut your carbon footprint by 20-50%? Drive 55 miles per hour. Imagine the impact it would have if we ALL IMMEDIATELY drove 55 or lower! 20% less gasoline consumed, 20% less carbon emitted IMMEDIATELY. I can’t think of any other step that could have that much impact right away and at no cost to us. And there’s a precedent for this. Apparently back in the 1970s America banded together to DRIVE 55 during the oil crisis.

When I changed my driving habits to regularly observe 55 MPH (down from my previous 65 – 70) I immediately saw results. I used to get 300 miles to a tank, I now get a little over 360. If you drive faster than I did, you might get savings that are even higher!

Why does it work? Apparently most cars run most efficiently at speeds below 55MPH. The Department of Energy estimates that for every 5 miles over 60MPH you essentially pay $0.20 more at the gas pump per gallon. So here’s my pitch for today…DRIVE 55 and help save the planet. For bumper stickers that essentially say just that go to: http://www.drive55.org/

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