55 mph speed limit again? Noooooooooo.....

Anyone else remember when the national speed limit on interstates was 55 mph "to save gas"? Now our own Virginia senator John Warner has suggested we go back to that awful time and reinstate a national speed limit of 55 mph. If you disagree with his proposal, please contact him.

The blog Left Lane News called it correctly, in my opinion:

Republican politicians are supposed to stand for less government intervention in the lives of Americans. But don’t tell that to senator John Warner of Virginia. The lawmaker is considering asking Congress to reimpose a national speed limit similar 55 mph directive to the one introduced in 1974.

That abomination took 21 years to repeal. U.S. states have been free to set their own speed limits for the last 13 years, but if Warner has his way that could end — again. In a letter to Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, Warner cites a study showing the 55 mph speed limit saved an average of 167,000 barrels of oil a day.

What’s unclear is how reducing oil consumption by 2 percent will ease the pain at the pump caused by $4 a gallon gas.

Come on, Senator ... please do not go that route again. Drill here. Drill now. Pay less.