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.