Driving down I-79 a risky endeavor
ODriving down Interstate 79 has become a risky endeavor. I cringe every time I make the turn and start the journey up the entrance ramp to what has become a speedway. In the 15-mile stretch between Mount Morris and Waynesburg, cars are averaging 75 to 80 mph. I know this because they pass me like I am standing still. And the sheer number of vehicles that travel the interstate, in general, seems to be multiplying.
Many experts say that driving is more dangerous than flying. That is certainly true for that stretch of roadway.
Just to make it interesting, two construction zones – the first signs of spring – a few miles apart have been added to the precarious nature of the stretch of roadway. On April 16, a few days after the lane restrictions were imposed, two men from Michigan were killed in a fiery three-vehicle collision that closed both the northbound and southbound lanes of the interstate for several hours.
In that accident, the men’s pickup truck was sandwiched between two commercial trucks. With the interstate closed, traffic was detoured to Route 19.
I had to travel to Waynesburg that night, and the curves in the old road didn’t seem to slow the traffic down at all. In fact, another tractor-trailer flipped along that roadway causing more delays. Let’s just say the drive on the two-lane road was even worse than the usual interstate speedway race.
To their credit, the state police have since been more visible near the construction zones on the interstate, slowing traffic before the lane restrictions. However, they can’t be there 24-7, and apparently, human nature causes drivers to want to beat you to the one-lane restriction.
Despite the problems with the construction zones, the main culprit is speed.
This can be a touchy subject for many, but with gasoline prices reaching nearly $4 per gallon now, wouldn’t it make sense to lower the speed limit? Set aside the safety aspect for a minute. It would make sense just based on finances. Experts agree that motorists can save money if they slow down when they’re driving.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, fuel economy declines quickly at approximately 60 mph, and motorists can save between seven to 23 percent in their fuel bill simply by slowing down.
Many will remember that back in the 1970s, the speed limit was federally mandated to be lowered to 55 mph because of a fuel shortage. It was called the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act. At the time, OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) cut oil production and placed an embargo on shipments of crude oil to the West.
As a result of the shortage, oil consumption diminished and motor vehicle fatalities decreased. There was an energy crisis, a lack of gas and everyone responded. We all adjusted to the lowered speed limit and learned to live with it.
After the embargo was lifted, things went back to normal. In the late 1980s, the law was changed to allow 65 mph limits. Then, in 1995, it was totally repealed, giving the right to set speed limits back to the states.
Today, 32 states have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some portion of their highways, according to Wikipedia. There are two stretches of interstate in Texas where the speed limit is 80 mph.
Although I-79 hasn’t reached the point of Germany’s famed Autobahn, where there is no speed restriction, a posted speed limit of 65 mph doesn’t mean 65 mph anymore.
Many consumers would agree that with the gasoline prices today, the energy crisis is back. It may not be a shortage brought on by an embargo, but it is a crisis for lots of families across the country that are now having to charge their gasoline to get to work or make a choice between gassing up their cars and buying medicine.
Maybe the answer, for those of you who agree that the speed limit should be lowered, is to exercise your constitutional rights of contacting your state representative and asking for legislation to lower the speed limit on interstates. At the very least, it’s time for all of us to seriously consider lowering our own speed on the interstate.
In the meantime, maybe the state should start offering Xanax in the vending machines at the Kirby rest stop.