Why are speedometers no longer allowed to read over 85?

Why are speedometers no longer allowed to read over 85?

Fearing that inflated numbers encouraged reckless driving, National Highway Safety Administration leader Joan Claybrook spearheaded a new rule which prohibited speedometers from reading above 85 miles per hour in 1979 (this was repealed two years later). Take a peek at certain older speedometers, and you might notice that the number 55 is circled.

Why was the speed limit set at 55 mph?

That’s because, during a 1974 standoff with OPEC, President Richard Nixon issued a nationwide speed limit of 55 mph which he hoped would promote fuel efficiency. Though this measure, dubbed the Emergency Energy Conservation Act, would be tweaked and modified in subsequent years, it wasn’t fully repealed until 1995.

Why is the number 55 circled on a speedometer?

Take a peek at certain older speedometers, and you might notice that the number 55 is circled. That’s because, during a 1974 standoff with OPEC, President Richard Nixon issued a nationwide speed limit of 55 mph which he hoped would promote fuel efficiency.

What to do when you don’t know the speed limit?

Naturally, the best way to avoid flashing blue lights and wallet-busting tickets is to stick to the car speed limit, but what do you do when you don’t know it? It’s an easy situation to find yourself in.

Fearing that inflated numbers encouraged reckless driving, National Highway Safety Administration leader Joan Claybrook spearheaded a new rule which prohibited speedometers from reading above 85 miles per hour in 1979 (this was repealed two years later). Take a peek at certain older speedometers, and you might notice that the number 55 is circled.

What’s the speed limit in feet per minute?

The speed limit on a certain part of the highway is 65 miles per hour. What is this in feet per minute? My Preferences My Reading List Literature Notes Test Prep

Is it legal to go over 85 mph in a car?

Let’s talk tickets: In the U.S. there isn’t a single stretch of highway where one can legally exceed 85 mph. So why do car companies build models that can double this velocity in the first place?

Take a peek at certain older speedometers, and you might notice that the number 55 is circled. That’s because, during a 1974 standoff with OPEC, President Richard Nixon issued a nationwide speed limit of 55 mph which he hoped would promote fuel efficiency.