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Lower the speed limit on freeways, and enforce it.
Done.
Dave
Ok... Then we'll have to add more tax to the price of fuel to pay the troopers and buy more patrol cars. And of course you know that any state govt will find a way to waste the money and never achieve the desired results.
In Iowa the combined Fed and State tax on a gallon is now $.68 And they can't build a new on ramp on the interstate as fast as the Empire State building was done from start to finish.
The only way for prices to stabilize or even drop is to get the Govt out of the way. Open up the drilling. The technology is such that, with drilling "sideways", a 5 mile wide area can be tapped using only a few acres of surface area. There goes the "environmental" argument.
The technology to produce fuels from coal has been around since before WW II. Germany used it extensively during the war. Many in that area claim that coal liquification fuels can be produced economically at the current selling prices. Again, the govt is putting the screws on this production. W Virginia's governor has been having a fit over the feds not letting them ramp up coal liquification.
It takes 10 years of red tape just to get approval for a new refinery, then it is usually not built because the cost recovery time line is too long.
I agree that most of us should slow down a little and conserve. Heck, even going 65-70 mph would not be a problem. It's the drag racing to the next traffic light, the constant weaving around in traffic, racing around that big truck just to get off the next off ramp (only a quarter mile away), etc that is wasting fuel. We see it every day. Driving a full sized SUV like it is a Corvette on steroids.
I would bet that if everyone just moderated their driving, we could easily save 10% of the fuel used. No telling how much that would stabilize or reduce the price. And no one would have to drive a Prius unless they wanted to.
I learned the "moderate" driving lesson years ago. That is why I consistently average close to 7 mpg with my semi while the other boneheads are only getting 5.5-6 mpg out of theirs. That equates to about $7K a year fuel savings for me at current diesel prices. And no... I don't limit myself to 55 mph.
It's in our hands.