I said "before Interstates (freeways, expressways, turnpikes, etc.)", Cotty. Prior to about 1955 all the eastern states had 50-55mph limits. PA & NJ even had a 50mph limit on the Interstates. Nevada and Wyoming had no fixed speed limits. And it was 1974 when the 55 went into effect via federal fiat supposedly due to the fuel crisis. Now the mandated interstate speed limit is 55 in urban areas (no one obeys it) and a maximum of 75 away from them though many states have set it as 65 or 70.
Ciao, Graywolf ---------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cotty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "pentax list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 1:28 PM Subject: Re: Really right OT: Car keys - WAS Survival Kit > >55 was the usual speed limit in most states before the interstates were > >built. I sometimes thought they came up with that number because they didn't > >want you doing more than 60, but figured everyone would drive faster than > >the limit anyway, so set it at 55 and enforced 60. No, wait a minute, that > >would mean politicians had thought things out. That is an oxymoron, > >politicians and thinking. > > > >Actually, someone once told me that 55mph was the top speed of a > >mid-nineteen-twenties Model-T Ford. That Henry paid off the various states > >to pass 55 as the speed limit so other cars couldn't pass by his cars. (This > >story is more likely true than the one about RR never breaking down, but not > >by much.) > > > The speed limit in California up until the early 70s was 65 and 70 on the > freeways. Then along came that nasty oil crisis - remember? All of a > sudden, 55 became the top limit. I don't know what it is now - but I > think 65 is pretty much the norm in most of the United States? > > In the UK it is 70 mph. In France, 81mph. In Germany, depending on engine > size and weather condition, there is no limit. > > In fact, when Britain's first motorway was built (the 'M1'), there was no > speed limit. The 70 mph limit was introduced after motor companies like > Jaguar tested their cars on the motorway. True! > > (D'oh, I was supposed to cut it out with the car stories......) > > > Cheers, > Cotty > > > ___/\__ > || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche > ||=====| www.macads.co.uk/snaps > _____________________________ > Free UK Mac Ads www.macads.co.uk > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.514 / Virus Database: 312 - Release Date: 8/28/03
