Thoreau’s essay on Civil Disobedience has prodded generations of dissidents to societal action. But how about “Civil Obedience” as a radical concept?
Nose around the ‘net and you’ll find plenty of stories of people pulled over by police for “driving too slowly” when what they were really doing was exercising their legal prerogative to save gas and lower stress by observing posted speed limits. Police quoted actually say they are “suspicious” of drivers who obey the speed laws.
So here’s an incendiary idea.
A dozen or more DTL Members gather in a major metro area at an appointed time. Each brings a car; a few double up so they can drive in carpool lanes.
En masse they enter a local freeway and spread out into a bunched convoy covering all lanes. Once in place, they slow down to the posted speed limit and stay there.
All the traffic behind them naturally slows down too; a gap opens in front of them as “normal” drivers speed away from the pack.
The large number of blockaders insures that road ragers “trapped” behind the convoy don’t take it out on any one member. The blockading convoy circles a beltway or local freeway route for as long as members are willing and available.
This is citizen enforcement of the law, and in a major metro area on a busy day could result in slowing down tens of thousands of drivers to the posted limits, resulting in savings of thousands of gallons of gas.
Ideally, local news is notified of the event and news chopper footage of the convoy gets on the evening broadcasts. Members give interviews on the event. We might also wish to seek legal advice, then notify local police or highway patrol about the blocking convoy ahead of time – daring them to cite us for obeying the law.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change the World.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
AMERICA DOESN'T NEED A NATIONAL 55 SPEED LIMIT
To all those calling for a national 55 speed limit to lessen American gas consumption we say simply: Shut up and observe the EXISTING limits.
Don’t look to government to solve our problems. We don’t need them to restrict us any more than they already do.
The solution we seek lies not in Washington but in our own driveways and garages. We need to control ourselves. The legislation is already in place. It is posted on every highway in America. All we need to do is observe it.
If, overnight, Americans simply decided to stop driving the “accepted” 5 – 10 miles over-the-limits—if we observed posted speed limits and drove accordingly, roughly $42 billion dollars would remain in the pockets of consumers like you and me. Per year.
That same $42 billion would NOT flow to the coffers of Big Oil, nor to OPEC states. Year after year after year.
This can happen right now without an act of Congress or a Presidential declaration or any state or government agency.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
Don’t look to government to solve our problems. We don’t need them to restrict us any more than they already do.
The solution we seek lies not in Washington but in our own driveways and garages. We need to control ourselves. The legislation is already in place. It is posted on every highway in America. All we need to do is observe it.
If, overnight, Americans simply decided to stop driving the “accepted” 5 – 10 miles over-the-limits—if we observed posted speed limits and drove accordingly, roughly $42 billion dollars would remain in the pockets of consumers like you and me. Per year.
That same $42 billion would NOT flow to the coffers of Big Oil, nor to OPEC states. Year after year after year.
This can happen right now without an act of Congress or a Presidential declaration or any state or government agency.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
SLOW DOWN - FIGHT TERRORISM
No one really questions the linkage between America’s addiction to oil and gas, our dependent relationship on the Saudis and OPEC, and the seething resentment directed at the United States by Islamic fundamentalists.
A cogent report on this subject can be found at: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/356986.aspx
Another one – a book review - is at: http://www.radicalislam.org/content/your-gas-money-financing-islamic-terrorism
It is amusing that the same conclusion comes from both ends of the journalistic spectrum!
In simplest terms, turning off the faucet of U.S. dollars flowing to OPEC dictatorships that sponsor terrorism would put a serious crimp in the resources of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
It is baffling that the basically conservative pro-American mindset that is most devoted to fighting terrorism and supporting our military, largely coincides with the hands-off, let-me-drive-at-any-speed-I-please mentality of the most outspoken critics of national speed limits.
Why don’t the same people who boycotted French fries see the patriotic logic of driving under existing speed limits?
Consider the irony of drivers who sport “Support Our Troops” stickers on their gas-guzzling RAM and F-150 pickups.
If pressed, many of these Americans would proudly call themselves “law and order” people. Yet they daily flout the posted speed limit – the one law that could help them fight their most hated enemies right where it counts: in the wallet.
If politically conservative Americans really understood that by driving 55, they could put a significant dent in the economies of OPEC dictatorships who sponsor terrorism – would they do it?
Or would their civil right to waste resource and ignore the law trump their hatred of Osama Bin Laden?
A cogent report on this subject can be found at: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/356986.aspx
Another one – a book review - is at: http://www.radicalislam.org/content/your-gas-money-financing-islamic-terrorism
It is amusing that the same conclusion comes from both ends of the journalistic spectrum!
In simplest terms, turning off the faucet of U.S. dollars flowing to OPEC dictatorships that sponsor terrorism would put a serious crimp in the resources of Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
It is baffling that the basically conservative pro-American mindset that is most devoted to fighting terrorism and supporting our military, largely coincides with the hands-off, let-me-drive-at-any-speed-I-please mentality of the most outspoken critics of national speed limits.
Why don’t the same people who boycotted French fries see the patriotic logic of driving under existing speed limits?
Consider the irony of drivers who sport “Support Our Troops” stickers on their gas-guzzling RAM and F-150 pickups.
If pressed, many of these Americans would proudly call themselves “law and order” people. Yet they daily flout the posted speed limit – the one law that could help them fight their most hated enemies right where it counts: in the wallet.
If politically conservative Americans really understood that by driving 55, they could put a significant dent in the economies of OPEC dictatorships who sponsor terrorism – would they do it?
Or would their civil right to waste resource and ignore the law trump their hatred of Osama Bin Laden?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
WHO PROFITS WHEN WE SPEED?
In 1975, annual traffic fatalities dropped by 9100 when America was saddled with a national speed limit of 55 mph to address the gas crisis. 9100 deaths prevented – in one year! Let’s put this in context. 9100 is more than twice the number killed by earthquakes and tsunamis in all recorded U.S history. (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/us_deaths.php)
Undoubtedly, millions of gallons of gas were saved (I’m tracking down the actual estimate, but trust me – it’s big). But as soon as it could, America shrugged off this onerous restriction in favor of the old higher speed limits.
Why?
In the face of such common sense benefits, why would states and localities return to more dangerous and expensive practices? They are always reaching into our personal lives to regulate everything they can, so why would they be so eager to give us back our right to rush breakneck around the highways, wasting gas and killing each other with our cars?
There is a time-honored adage in America that pertains to solving such riddles:
Follow The Money.
Who profits from America’s love affair with highway speed? The lion’s share of the money we waste driving 70-75 on our freeways goes straight to Exxon-Mobil, ARCO, Unocal, Conoco-Philips, and the rest of America’s huge oil/gasoline industry.
How much money?
Some very conservative math (see my posting titled “Some Sample Math, Part 2”) suggests that if only 1% of American drivers agreed to DRIVE THE LIMITS for one year, we’d save about 140,000,000 gallons of gas. At a gas price of $2.80 per gallon, that’s $392,000,000. At $3, it’s $420,000,000. A savings of half-a-billion dollars is not at all out of reach. With higher participation and higher gas prices, we could easily save a multiple of that. Maybe a BIG multiple.
So consider how much profit Big Oil lost when an entire nation was forced to drive 55. Tens of billions of dollars, easy. Maybe hundreds.
Does this begin to explain why old speed limits were restored, when the benefits of the newer, slower ones were obvious to any thinking person?
Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
Undoubtedly, millions of gallons of gas were saved (I’m tracking down the actual estimate, but trust me – it’s big). But as soon as it could, America shrugged off this onerous restriction in favor of the old higher speed limits.
Why?
In the face of such common sense benefits, why would states and localities return to more dangerous and expensive practices? They are always reaching into our personal lives to regulate everything they can, so why would they be so eager to give us back our right to rush breakneck around the highways, wasting gas and killing each other with our cars?
There is a time-honored adage in America that pertains to solving such riddles:
Follow The Money.
Who profits from America’s love affair with highway speed? The lion’s share of the money we waste driving 70-75 on our freeways goes straight to Exxon-Mobil, ARCO, Unocal, Conoco-Philips, and the rest of America’s huge oil/gasoline industry.
How much money?
Some very conservative math (see my posting titled “Some Sample Math, Part 2”) suggests that if only 1% of American drivers agreed to DRIVE THE LIMITS for one year, we’d save about 140,000,000 gallons of gas. At a gas price of $2.80 per gallon, that’s $392,000,000. At $3, it’s $420,000,000. A savings of half-a-billion dollars is not at all out of reach. With higher participation and higher gas prices, we could easily save a multiple of that. Maybe a BIG multiple.
So consider how much profit Big Oil lost when an entire nation was forced to drive 55. Tens of billions of dollars, easy. Maybe hundreds.
Does this begin to explain why old speed limits were restored, when the benefits of the newer, slower ones were obvious to any thinking person?
Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
SOME SAMPLE MATH – PART 2
Over the last two years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, American drivers have consumed an average of 140 billion gallons of gas per year.
If a mere one percent of U.S. drivers agreed to DRIVE THE LIMITS, and saved a conservatively-estimated 10% on their mileage (it could be as high as 20-30%), they would save
140,000,000 gallons.
At $2.80 per gallon, that’s $392,000,000.
At $3/gallon, that’s $420,000,000. Nearly half a billion dollars. In the first year alone.
Want a piece of that action? Join us today. Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
If a mere one percent of U.S. drivers agreed to DRIVE THE LIMITS, and saved a conservatively-estimated 10% on their mileage (it could be as high as 20-30%), they would save
140,000,000 gallons.
At $2.80 per gallon, that’s $392,000,000.
At $3/gallon, that’s $420,000,000. Nearly half a billion dollars. In the first year alone.
Want a piece of that action? Join us today. Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
Monday, February 1, 2010
DRIVE THE LIMITS - TAKE THE PLEDGE
All the information presented here is meaningless unless committed individuals TAKE THE PLEDGE to SLOW DOWN and OBEY ALL POSTED SPEED LIMITS. Sounds like torture? Keep reading.
Several months ago I made a quiet commitment to myself to do just this. I wanted to save some money in a tough economy. My Prius had turned 100,000 miles and I wanted it to last as long as possible.
I was sick of watching the news in the vain hope that the Obama administration would do something immediate and important to combat global warming and help our economy. I was crestfallen when “same old same old” politics swamped the optimism surrounding last November’s U.S. election. And my heart sank when billion dollar lobbying interests prevented Congress from approving any meaningful action that President Obama could take to the Copenhagen Conference as a sign that America was ready to lead the way on environmental issues.
I realized no one is going to save the planet for me. No government is going to solve my economic woes. Big Oil is not going to suddenly grow a heart and give me a break. And OPEC doesn’t give a damn about my cost of living.
So I made one quiet personal decision. When the speed limit said 55, I was going to drive 55. Or 40, or 60, or whatever it said.
Obey the law. What a concept.
The rewards were immediate.
I allowed a bit of extra driving time for trips but found myself arriving relaxed and happy after “cruising” to my destination. My fill-ups went from one a week to one every two weeks – no kidding. My gas bill has dropped substantially. My 2005 hybrid now has 132,000 miles and counting, with no signs of wearing out. It became a fun game, a challenge, to see if I could break my personal “miles per tankful” record.
More importantly, I enjoyed feeling empowered by doing something immediate and personal about global warming and our environmental crisis. I enjoyed my own savings, but I’d get even more pleasure from “plugging up” a local highway and watching two or three cars (especially Escalades and Navigators) line up behind me for a few miles, forced to obey the law with me, and saving gas on their own, whether they liked it or not. After a time I’d pull over and let them pass. But that experience led to this website and some of the more radical ideas you’ll find espoused here.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
Several months ago I made a quiet commitment to myself to do just this. I wanted to save some money in a tough economy. My Prius had turned 100,000 miles and I wanted it to last as long as possible.
I was sick of watching the news in the vain hope that the Obama administration would do something immediate and important to combat global warming and help our economy. I was crestfallen when “same old same old” politics swamped the optimism surrounding last November’s U.S. election. And my heart sank when billion dollar lobbying interests prevented Congress from approving any meaningful action that President Obama could take to the Copenhagen Conference as a sign that America was ready to lead the way on environmental issues.
I realized no one is going to save the planet for me. No government is going to solve my economic woes. Big Oil is not going to suddenly grow a heart and give me a break. And OPEC doesn’t give a damn about my cost of living.
So I made one quiet personal decision. When the speed limit said 55, I was going to drive 55. Or 40, or 60, or whatever it said.
Obey the law. What a concept.
The rewards were immediate.
I allowed a bit of extra driving time for trips but found myself arriving relaxed and happy after “cruising” to my destination. My fill-ups went from one a week to one every two weeks – no kidding. My gas bill has dropped substantially. My 2005 hybrid now has 132,000 miles and counting, with no signs of wearing out. It became a fun game, a challenge, to see if I could break my personal “miles per tankful” record.
More importantly, I enjoyed feeling empowered by doing something immediate and personal about global warming and our environmental crisis. I enjoyed my own savings, but I’d get even more pleasure from “plugging up” a local highway and watching two or three cars (especially Escalades and Navigators) line up behind me for a few miles, forced to obey the law with me, and saving gas on their own, whether they liked it or not. After a time I’d pull over and let them pass. But that experience led to this website and some of the more radical ideas you’ll find espoused here.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change The World.
FUEL ECONOMY - WE TEST THE TIPS
What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor and Mike Hudson, News Editor, EDMUNDS.COM
With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car.
By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.
A miracle? All we did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. We'll give you the breakdown.
These tests were done under real-world conditions — not in a government lab somewhere. Our results can be matched by anyone — even you.
The wonderful part about what we found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these winners together and we'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump — without the need for a new car.
Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving
Result: Major savings potential
The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent
Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.
Aggressive vs. Moderate Driving: read the entire test - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html#test1
Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Result: Substantial savings on a long trip
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent
Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.
Lower Speeds Saves Gas: Read the entire test - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html#test2
Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent
Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.
Cruise Control: Read the entire test - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html#test2
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html
By Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor and Mike Hudson, News Editor, EDMUNDS.COM
With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car.
By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.
A miracle? All we did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. We'll give you the breakdown.
These tests were done under real-world conditions — not in a government lab somewhere. Our results can be matched by anyone — even you.
The wonderful part about what we found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these winners together and we'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump — without the need for a new car.
Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving
Result: Major savings potential
The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent
Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.
Aggressive vs. Moderate Driving: read the entire test - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html#test1
Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Result: Substantial savings on a long trip
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent
Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.
Lower Speeds Saves Gas: Read the entire test - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html#test2
Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent
Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.
Cruise Control: Read the entire test - http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html#test2
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE:
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT? SOME SAMPLE MATH.
DOES DRIVING THE LIMITS REALLY SAVE DOLLARS, NOT JUST PENNIES?
Let’s suppose you live in California and drive a 25 mile roundtrip to/from work each day. 50 weeks a year, five days a week. That’s 6250 miles a year, just commuting.
Let’s guess you drive 20 of those miles on the freeway – that’s 5000 freeway miles. The posted speed limit is 55 in some spots, 65 in others, but like everyone else you routinely drive 70.
The average car/truck on the American road gets 17 MPG. That means your freeway driving uses 294 gallons of gas annually. At $3/gallon (sometimes more, sometimes less), that’s $882.
What happens if you set your cruise control at 60 mph?
If you study the links below, you’ll learn that a 10 mph drop in your average speed will result in a 4 MPG savings. That’s almost 25%! You’ll save about 73 gallons, or $220 per year just on your commuting. Since the average driver puts 12,000 miles per year on his/her car, we can double that number to 150 gallons/year or nearly $500/year in savings. Per driver/car. If you’re a two-car family, you’re now saving 300 gallons/$1000 every year.
That’s two or three car payments – or more. Or a flatscreen TV. Or a vacation at the beach!
By the way, this formula applies even if you drive a hybrid or high-mileage compact. If you are a hard-core speeder, you’ll save more – MUCH more. If you drive a pickup or SUV, you’ll be the biggest winner, percentage wise.
Forget a National Speed Limit. Keep your SUV! Just slow down.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change the World.
Let’s suppose you live in California and drive a 25 mile roundtrip to/from work each day. 50 weeks a year, five days a week. That’s 6250 miles a year, just commuting.
Let’s guess you drive 20 of those miles on the freeway – that’s 5000 freeway miles. The posted speed limit is 55 in some spots, 65 in others, but like everyone else you routinely drive 70.
The average car/truck on the American road gets 17 MPG. That means your freeway driving uses 294 gallons of gas annually. At $3/gallon (sometimes more, sometimes less), that’s $882.
What happens if you set your cruise control at 60 mph?
If you study the links below, you’ll learn that a 10 mph drop in your average speed will result in a 4 MPG savings. That’s almost 25%! You’ll save about 73 gallons, or $220 per year just on your commuting. Since the average driver puts 12,000 miles per year on his/her car, we can double that number to 150 gallons/year or nearly $500/year in savings. Per driver/car. If you’re a two-car family, you’re now saving 300 gallons/$1000 every year.
That’s two or three car payments – or more. Or a flatscreen TV. Or a vacation at the beach!
By the way, this formula applies even if you drive a hybrid or high-mileage compact. If you are a hard-core speeder, you’ll save more – MUCH more. If you drive a pickup or SUV, you’ll be the biggest winner, percentage wise.
Forget a National Speed Limit. Keep your SUV! Just slow down.
Change Your Driving Habits. Change the World.
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