1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: a show that gives a quick look it's something that 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: happened a long time ago. Today I'm Gabe Louzier, and 5 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 1: in this episode, we're examining one of the least popular 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 1: policies of one of America's least popular presidents. The day 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: was January second, seventy four. President Richard Nixon established a 8 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: maximum speed limit of fifty five miles per hour on 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: every highway in the United States, known as the Emergency 10 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: Highway Energy Conservation Act, The law was primarily intended to 11 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: conserve the nation's fuel supply in response to the ongoing 12 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 1: fuel crisis of the nineteen seventies. The results were a 13 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: mixed bag, but the law remained in effect to regardless 14 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: for more than two decades. Prior to Nixon's law, each 15 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: state had the right to set its own speed limits 16 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: for all the roads within its borders. This had resulted 17 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: in highway speed limits that ranged from forty miles per 18 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: hour all the way up to eighty miles per hour. 19 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: Cars are less fuel efficient when driven at higher speeds, 20 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: but following World War Two, the US wasn't worried about 21 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: its gas supply like other industrialized nations. The country helped 22 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 1: itself to inexpensive Middle Eastern oil from nineteen fifty until 23 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: the early nineteen seventies. The gravy train finally ground to 24 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: a halt in nineteen seventy three. The Arab nations of OPEC, 25 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: the organization of the petroleum Exporting Countries, took exception to 26 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 1: the West support of Israel in the recent Yam Kippur 27 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: War also known as the Ramadan War. In protest, the 28 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: group abruptly east all oil shipments to the United States, 29 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: as well as Japan and Western Europe. When OPEK eventually 30 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: started selling again, it raised its oil prices to four 31 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: times what they had been previously. The embargo struck a 32 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: major blow to American and European economies, highlighting just how 33 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: dependent the West had become on foreign oil. The sweeping 34 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: energy crisis led to gas shortages and desperate attempts at 35 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: fuel conservation and rationing. Nixon's federal law on speed limits 36 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: was part of the American government's response to the OPEC 37 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: oil embargo. It was hoped that by forcing people to 38 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 1: drive slower, less gasoline would be wasted. Of course, Congress 39 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: recognized that a fifty five mile corrour speed limit wouldn't 40 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: go over well in some states, especially the western ones, 41 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: which had the longest, straightest and dullest st rural highways 42 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: in the country. That is why Congress enacted the law, 43 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: along with an ultimatum to the states, comply with the 44 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: national speed limit or give up all of your funding 45 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 1: from the Department of Transportation. With their federal highway money 46 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: on the line, most states lowered their speed limits right away, 47 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: but even if a state grudgingly complied with the law, 48 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: how to enforce it was still up to them. For example, 49 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: in Nevada, state police only issued full speeding tickets to 50 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: drivers going more than seventy miles per hour. Anything less 51 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: and the offender was just given a five dollar fine 52 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: for energy wasting. Of course, the big question is whether 53 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: the national speed limit actually reduced fuel consumption as intended. 54 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: The answer to that is still up for debate. The 55 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: law did curb petroleum consumption by over a hundred and 56 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: sixty in barrels per day, but that only represents a 57 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: drop in demand of about one or two percent, hardly 58 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: enough to solve an energy crisis. Part of the reason 59 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,839 Speaker 1: the savings were so slight was that by the time 60 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: Nixon's law took effect, twenty one states had already adopted 61 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: maximum speed limits of fifty five miles per hour or less. 62 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: That means a large portion of the country was already 63 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: driving super slowly on the highway, so the national speed 64 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: limit didn't reduce their fuel consumption any further. It also 65 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: didn't help that the lower speed limit only impacted highway driving, 66 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: which is already better for fuel economy the driving at 67 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: lower speeds on congested roads and side streets. The law 68 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: didn't save as much gas as the government had hoped, 69 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: but the fifty five mile per hour speed limit remained 70 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: in place even after the oil crisis had ended. By 71 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: eight Studies show to steady decline in highway fatalities in 72 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: the years since the lower speed limit was introduced. Some 73 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: analysts pointed out that the reduction in deaths was more 74 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: likely due to a general decrease in recreational driving because 75 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 1: of high cost and scarcity of gas, but the government 76 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: insisted it was actually due to the national speed limit. 77 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: The Department of Transportation even launched a publicity campaign using 78 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: the slogan fifty five saves lives. Take a listen. Fifty 79 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,599 Speaker 1: five saves lives. Since nineteen seventy has been the single 80 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: biggest factor in reducing highway deaths by more than thirty 81 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: six thousand people. One of them could be used saves lives. 82 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: By the nineteen eighties, the American public still widely approved 83 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: of the national speed limit, even if most motorists didn't 84 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: abide by it themselves. But the law still had many 85 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: vocal detractors, and one of the most prominent was rock 86 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,559 Speaker 1: star Sammy Agar, the future lead singer of the band 87 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: Van Halen In. Hagar was pulled over while driving through 88 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: New York State. He had been going seven miles over 89 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 1: the national speed limit, and when the cops said he 90 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: gave tickets for anything over sixty, the musician replied, quote, 91 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 1: I can't drive fifty five. As the cop wrote out 92 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: the ticket, Hagar began scribbling down the lyrics for what 93 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: ultimately became his first hit song. It was titled you 94 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: Guessed It, I Can't Drive fifty five. The song captured 95 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: the sentiments of a growing number of citizens, not to mention, 96 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: state governments and industries in Congress acknowledged the backlash by 97 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: raising the speed limit to sixty five miles per hour 98 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: on all rural interstate highways. Then in the law was 99 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: scrapped altogether, and the right to determine speed limits was 100 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: handed back to the individual states. After more than twenty years, 101 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: the long strange experiment was finally over. It was a 102 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: sad day for some, after all, small towns along the 103 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: highways had made a fortune off of speeding fines and fees, 104 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: and those in the radar detector business had sold more 105 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: units than they likely ever would again. But for everyone else, 106 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: the laws repeal was a welcome return to the days 107 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: of sensible speeding, to a time when daily commutes went 108 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: by a little faster and nobody wrote rock songs about 109 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: speed limits. I'm Gabe Loser and hopefully you now know 110 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 111 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by following us 112 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t d i HC Show, 113 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: and if you have any comments or suggestions, you can 114 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: always drop me a line at this Day at I 115 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for producing 116 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: the show, and thank you for listening. I'll see you 117 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,679 Speaker 1: back here again tomorrow. For another day in history class. 118 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the iHeart 119 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 120 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: favorite shows.