Every Tom, Dick and Harry...and John, Mick and me, Larry, have jumped on the bandwagon to save gasoline.
Actually, I'd like to welcome everybody aboard the bandwagon. I've been writing about this issue for the last 10 years on and off. Although I really don't know, I've probably had little effect on convincing anybody to conserve gasoline outside some "greenies" who didn't need any convincing. On the other hand, I've probably raised the ire of those who have pronounced that it is their God-given right to drive whatever they want to drive no matter the environmental consequences. It's the American way: If you can afford it, you can do it.
But that's nothing a good ole crisis can't cure. And a crisis means opportunity. Marketers ranging from car companies to resorts have concocted gas promotions to entice consumers to buy their products or use their services. For example, General Motors is offering $1,000 in fuel to buyers of its vehicles capable of using E85 (fuel containing 85 percent ethanol). With the price of gasoline on a steady climb, stay tuned for more marketing gimmicks of this sort.
Both political parties proposed Cracker Jack prize remedies. My favorite was Tennessee Senator Bill Frist's $100 gasoline rebate. Now there's a long-term solution to a 50-year-old problem.
Thus far, the aftermarket's response to the gasoline crisis is taking the form of offering vehicle maintenance tips. PR departments for auto parts manufacturers, distributors, retailers and industry associations are working overtime to crank out a slew of information on saving gas. Consumers are about to be drowned in a flood of gas-savings tips ranging from keeping air pressure in tires to driving at slower speeds.
To the latter point, experts agree that 40 to 55 mph is the ideal mph range because that's where a vehicle's engine runs most efficiently. Going above 55 mph requires an engine to work harder due to a vehicle having to fight dramatically higher wind resistance.
The practical application of this knowledge should be obvious, even though most motorists will want to remain oblivious to the fact that if everybody slowed down we would save millions of gallons of gasoline every day. All things being equal, it is the simplest and most effective means of reaching oil independence outside of not driving at all.
At the risk of being labeled the most hated man in America, I'd like to propose the obvious answer to fuel savings and oil independence: a return to the 1970s' national 55 mph speed limit.
The passage of a speed regulation law and the teeth to enforce it could be the ticket for maintaining a healthy aftermarket. If motorists slow down and spend less on gas, they would be able to afford more gas so that they could drive more. More miles driven, of course, means more worn parts that the aftermarket can sell and replace.
Not a novel idea, but one whose time has come. Again.
Larry Silvey, Publisher & Group Editorial Director
