At this rate we will be paying $5/gallon by summer

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Unless you live in downtown Baghdad, I can't fathom how/why one can justify owning a Hummer/Humvee, but they're all around !

We've had since 1974 to retool and many auto mfgs. have, but the SUV mentality abounds.
Personally, I would love to see the small station wagon return.

UK & Europe (& others) have always paid steeply, but they have the intelligence to have a good public transport system(railway, bus and subway) and make the effort to use it.

We're very spoiled/entitled here.

I use the commuter rail to get into work & law school, however, must make an effort to use it more.

We all own a part of this in some way (unless you're Ed Begley, Jr.)

A theory that I've heard is this: we, the US, will end up duking it out with China and other emerging nations, for oil.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

The market will adjust. It always does. It just takes time. What I expect will happen is consumers will start buying up very high gas mileage cars like they did in the early 80's after the last oil shock. So, average mpg will increase a lot over the past 10 years.

In addition, I think traffic will get better on the freeways. I believe that gas prices are getting high enough where car pooling will be required by many. I spoke to a person just this week who said they had to quit their job because it was too expensive to drive to work.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

We've had since 1974 to retool and many auto mfgs. have, but the SUV mentality abounds.
Personally, I would love to see the small station wagon return.

That's because we've had artificially low oil prices for almost 2 decades. If oil had stayed at a constant inflation adjusted price from 1980 until now, the market would have not spawned all the SUVs.

Government planning is never any good. It's better to let the market decide what it needs when it needs it. Right now, the market is screaming that they need more efficient autos. Guess what? We'll get them now.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

UK & Europe (& others) have always paid steeply, but they have the intelligence to have a good public transport system(railway, bus and subway) and make the effort to use it.

Europe possibly, but for the UK a decent public transport system is really restricted to urban areas. Live anywhere even slightly rural and it can be non-existent. There are areas within 20 miles of my home town, which has a population of about 100,000 where public transport stops after 6pm.
The average car engine size in UK & Europe is far smaller than the US with consequent improved fuel economy. A normal family saloon car in the UK won't have an engine larger than 2000cc, typically nearer 1600 to 1800. Fuel consumption averaging about 35 miles per gallon.
I appreciate that in some cases, but certainly not all, people do drive greater distances on a regular basis than is normal in the UK. Huge engines aren't necessary for that though. The car I drove for 9 years had a 2 litre engine, but on long journies would still average over 40 mpg. I regularly drove that several hundred miles at a time.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Europe possibly, but for the UK a decent public transport system is really restricted to urban areas. Live anywhere even slightly rural and it can be non-existent. There are areas within 20 miles of my home town, which has a population of about 100,000 where public transport stops after 6pm.
The average car engine size in UK & Europe is far smaller than the US with consequent improved fuel economy. A normal family saloon car in the UK won't have an engine larger than 2000cc, typically nearer 1600 to 1800. Fuel consumption averaging about 35 miles per gallon.
I appreciate that in some cases, but certainly not all, people do drive greater distances on a regular basis than is normal in the UK. Huge engines aren't necessary for that though. The car I drove for 9 years had a 2 litre engine, but on long journies would still average over 40 mpg. I regularly drove that several hundred miles at a time.

Yeah, and the Brits drive a LOT faster than Americans. 90 mph is slow. Over 100 mph is more the norm.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Yeah, and the Brits drive a LOT faster than Americans. 90 mph is slow. Over 100 mph is more the norm.

Yes AND on the wrong side of the road !!!

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Yes AND on the wrong side of the road !!!

I heard that was going to change.

Too tough to do it all at once, so they were going to start out slowly, first putting the trucks on the right side of the road.

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Yeah, and the Brits drive a LOT faster than Americans. 90 mph is slow. Over 100 mph is more the norm.

Something of an exaggeration On motorways although the legal limit is 70mph most drivers will be travelling at nearer 80. The police don't take any notice of people at that speed. Go over 90 and they certainly start to take note. Over 100 is an automatic driving ban if caught so simply not worth the risk.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

the legal limit is 70mph most drivers will be travelling at nearer 80.

Those are exactly the legal/de facto speeds in Michigan.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

Keith,

Is distance and speed measured in Kilometers per hour, or does the UK still retain the old system we use on this side of the pond?

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

billymach4,

Usage of the mile is one of the few things we managed to retain after the EU came into existence. They have been trying, and thankfully failing, for years to make us adopt the kilometre.
It is being snuck in through the back door in some areas with many public footpath distances being marked in km on signs.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

I heard that was going to change.

Too tough to do it all at once, so they were going to start out slowly, first putting the trucks on the right side of the road.

Well, as long as it's the oil and proprane trucks first, there shouldn't be a problem.

[billymach4 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close billymach4]

billymach4,

Usage of the mile is one of the few things we managed to retain after the EU came into existence. They have been trying, and thankfully failing, for years to make us adopt the kilometre.
It is being snuck in through the back door in some areas with many public footpath distances being marked in km on signs.

All along I thought we USA types were the only people left on the Earth not compliant with the metric system. But the US Auto makers have managed to bolt together the new cars in mm nuts and bolts. No more 1/2 inch or 9/16 socket wrench!

Figure that one out. Held together metrically but burning the old gallon of gas, and the engine is measured in displacement of liters, or cc's, racing down the highway at 70mph. No wonder we are wasting oil!

Let's not forget the bits and bytes sparking the plugs!

[Keitht Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Keitht]

Many moons ago I worked as a quantity surveyor in the building trade. Metrication there was a total mess. Building dimensions on drawings would be metric, but timber sizes remained imperial for a long time. Therefore the quantity could be 24 off 9 metre long 6"x2" rafters!!