INFORMEDdebate
Should
there be
a national
speed
limit?
YES
from members:
Benjamin Loeb
El Paso, TX
We need to act
together as a country
to save gasoline and
drive safer. We don’t
need to be in such a
hurry anyway.
Abigail Marsh
Albany, OR
Increased safety and
even a possibility for
savings on gas prices
should be considered.
Also the lack of confusion when traveling.
Rick Genz
Elgin, IL
The limit should be
higher than it is and
the same all over the
U.S. There are many
states with open
spaces.
BRAND X PICTURES
SOME LAWMAKERS AND groups are calling for the reintroduction of
a national speed limit, harkening back to the 1970s, when a 55 mph limit
was enforced on the nation’s highways. Although there is no consensus
on whether the limit should be 55 mph, 60 mph or 65 mph, proponents
of a national speed limit say that easing up on the gas pedal offers imme-
diate savings on gas, saves money, reduces pollution and sends a message
that Americans are ready to break free of dependence on foreign oil.
Critics argue that imposing a national speed limit is impractical and
likely to be disregarded by many motorists. They say Americans should
be focusing not on greater regulation and more federal mandates, but
on the core cause of rising gas prices: insufficient supply to meet rising
demand. What do you think?
NO
from members:
Lissa Sterbentz
Rossmoor, CA
Changing the speed
limits will never slow
drivers. The fewer
restrictions imposed
by the federal and
state governments,
the better.
David Macdonald
Jackson, NJ
A lower speed limit
in the 1970s did not
work. Offshore drilling
and wind and solar
are the answer.
Find out more about this topic on the Web:
Jacquelyn Sathe
Allendale, MI
We drove 12 million
fewer miles this past
year without a restriction. We proved we
could cut down.
