Why I drive 55

I drive 55 MPH on the highway no matter what the posted speed limit is and drive the speed limit (or just barely over) off the highway.  Why you might ask?  Well, I like many of you, used to speed, and I mean speed.  I would typically drive between 5 and 20 MPH over the posted speed limit on highways.  The reason that I stopped was years ago (probably about seven years) I noticed that my car was not getting the MPG which it was rated for so I began researching it.  I found that the faster you drive (over about 45 MPH), the less MPG you get.  This is exponential, the faster you drive, the more energy your vehicle uses to overcome the increase in resistance (both wind and tire).  Slow driving also kills MPG so if you drive 1 MPH you'll get far worse MPG than if you drive around 45 MPH (the most optimum speed).  After learning this new information, I began to slow down, first, 5 MPH, then 10, then 15 until finally (after a year is my guess) I made it all the way down to 55 MPH.  My MPG climbed steadily the entire time I slowed down and at the same time, I had to learn something new, how to master my ego, because slowing down at first made me feel like I was losing a race and driving like some grandma.  To me, mastering one's ego and emotions (basically, not allowing those to dictate your actions) was one of the more difficult lessons I had to learn in life.  Once I did so, I found additional benefits to slowing down (number one being my stress level).  Once I slowed down I also realized that I no longer had to worry about getting a speeding ticket which made me think that prior to my new speed, I was behaving with a criminal mentality, breaking the law just because I felt it was my right to drive the speed I decided was right.  This got me thinking that perhaps I was being childish in my views and that all of those people out there that are speeding today, are actually children who have not grown up yet.  After taking in all of this new information, I decided to create a logic matrix to show the reasons for and against speeding and below are my results.

Logic Matrix

Reasons for speeding

- I get there faster
- I don't look like a grandma while driving (ego)
- It makes me feel good passing others (ego)


Reasons against speeding

- For every 5 MPH you drive over 55 MPH, you consume 5% more fuel.
- You run the risk of getting a speeding ticket.
- If you get a speeding ticket, your insurance rates will increase.
- Faster speeds mean more wear and tear on your vehicle (more wear on tires, brakes, bearings, transmission, engine, you name it, it is all impacted).
- Faster speeds mean more forces being exerted on the roads resulting in more repairs.
- Faster speeds leave you less time to react (increases risk of an accident) and also increases the chances of a more serious injury or death in the event of an accident.
- Faster speeds increase your stress levels.
- You save money (possibly hundreds of dollars a year).
- Less of your money goes to Big Oil and terrorist supporting states such as Saudi Arabia.
- Driving above the speed limit is against the law, breaking the law makes you a criminal.  Do you really want to lower yourself to criminal status?
- If you are speeding with your children in the vehicle, what kind of example are you setting for them?  You are teaching them that it is OK to speed.


This is by no means telling you how to drive, I am only submitting my findings, you choose what you want to do with the information.