Wasn't this tried once before? What was the result then? - Brian Sullivan

I'll raise you one fail whale that it is. A lot of the issues (beyond the obvious) have to do with how inefficient start/stop driving is. - Steve Spalding

As I recall it was accompanied by price controls and the result was gas shortages and no re-election. :D - Hal Rottenberg from twhirl

I'm opposed to it because I'm not a fan of big brother & now big mother style of government. what's next? perhaps one car per household? - Hal Rottenberg from twhirl

I think the best gas saver would be huge incentives for companies to allow workers to telecommute. And 4 10-hour days for workers who can not. Both of those would seriously decrease the demand of gas and should eventually run the price down. - Internet's Tad

I vote for the 4 10 hour days, And yes I remember 55 MPH everywhere. I spent 6 years of my life driving to places that I will never get back But even now I think about the gas tank when I go over 65 mph here. - Moved to Facebook

Agree with Tad - four day week and lots more telecommuting would both help a lot. Always baffles me why telecommuting still seems to have so little support. - Patrick Jordan

Agree with Hal...I believe "voluntary" interactions provide solutions much quicker and more efficiently than arbitrary "mandates." - Chris Rossini

Lower speed limits will make me use more gas. Slowing down from 80 to 55 every time I see a cop and then speeding back up to 80 again takes more gas than just driving 80. And for those who say 80 is too fast, move to Atlanta and try to drive slower. - Adam

I'm sure the national speed limit saved some gas. It was also a bonanza for law enforcement and we all hated it. Wanna save gas? Send everyone a coupon worth $500 at their local bicycle store. Wanna mandate something? Start with bike lanes. - Chris Baskind

@Adam Brilliant - my best laugh of the day. - Kevin Shannon

how about a large initiative to fix rail lines across the country. - David Weiner

@Adam HAH! That's exactly my "speed limit" as well. They may as well just change all the signs and let the cops do something useful elsewhere. @Bjorn uh...what ads? - Rahsheen ™, Coach of FF

Rail and bicycles...that'd fail here in Atlanta (hi Adam). My commute is 26 miles, and so is almost everybody else's. - Hal Rottenberg from twhirl

Changing the law to change people's habits is retarded. The government has no business whatsoever meddling in how we drive other than to make sure we are driving safely. Once gas hit ~ $3.75 a gallon I started driving 60 mph most of the time. I don't need the federal government changing laws to tell me I can save money that way. Smart people just know it and the ones that can afford the usage should be allowed to. - Richard Miles

Nowhere have I said it is a "right". However, if you want to quibble, nowhere in the Constitution is meddling with forms of transportation a right given to the Federal government and as we all know, those laws not expressly given to the federal government by the constitution are the business of the individual states. - Richard Miles

I've mentioned this many time over, almost like a mantra: the best way to fix our foreign oil dependence is to tax the consumer at the pump. see how sensitive we've become since gas hit $4? imagine if it went to $8 due to taxation, with the levies earmarked to alt-energy RDT&E. unpopular, yes, but effective. i know it would never work in politics because it's a sure-fire way to get ostracized by the constituents but it'll work, believe you me. - grant fox

oh and speaking of politics, this speed limit thing is exactly that, and would be pointless for many of the reasons cited in the other comments. - grant fox

who expects a Californian to travel such distances daily? Live where you work can't be such a terrible lifestyle can it? - Nathan Eckenrode

Regarding constitutionality - it would be mandated in a very constitutional way. States would be allowed to set any speed limit they want. But to get Federal highway funding, they have to have a 55 mph speed limit, and a certain maximum blood alcohol content, and a certain drinking age, etc. - Ontario Emperor from fftogo

"Which amendment is that, exactly, that assures the right to lead foot?" The Constitution doesn't create rights, they are inherent. The Constitution doesn't explicitly list all rights, either. You're asking the wrong question. - Gregor Morrill