In response to the following email we are pleased to announce several new bumper stickers.
Dear Folks,
Last week I sent this letter out to a number of conservation organizations, and also to Yes! magazine. They asked me for a reference and I couldn't find it, so I googled "55 speed limit mideast oil" and BINGO! "You've been doing this for a while. Why hasn't it caught on?" I suggest a new bumpersticker :
55 FOR PEACE
55 FOR POLAR BEARS
55 TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING, etc.
Text of my earlier letter:
Here’s an action almost everyone can do immediately that will reduce global warming. DRIVE SLOWER.
I read in a recent Sierra Club magazine that if the whole country went back to the 55mph speed limit (as we did in the first oil crisis back in the 70s) it would save the amount of oil we import from the Persian Gulf. We don't have to wait for the Government, we can drive 55 right now. How about some sort of campaign: Drive 55, keep the earth alive! or 55 for polar bears! 55 for peace! People could display a bumper sticker, so we'd know who we are as we drive down the highway.
I'm already doing it. I’ve been doing it for 3 years, since I bought my Honda Hybrid. It has a clever LED readout of my average mileage, so I tested it on the highway, and at 55mph my car gets 55mpg. At 60 it drops to about 52, at 65 it’s down to about 47. It’s true, it does require some sacrifice. It takes longer to get places. But you know what? It doesn’t take that much longer. Every time the needle creeps up to 60 I remember polar bears and slow down. It makes me feel good.
A lot of different groups could suggest their members do this: environmental groups, peace groups - almost every problem we are struggling with could be helped by slowing down.
Thanks,
Jenny Deupree
in Franconia, NH
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Thank you Jenny, and also all the others who have sent email and encouragement. This new website is for you. Our goal: One Million Drive 55 bumperstickers!
Tim
Flashing LED sign Suggestion
Driving 55 particularly on the interstate would be an excellent idea! I, for myself, HATE to ride fast, and have always resented being pressured to ride like a racecar whenever I get on the interstate. But it is either that or ride secondary highways all the way, more relaxing, but a bit long on a lengthy journey. The dilemma I have always had is if I ride a speed I am more comfortable with, somewhere between 55 -60, I am deluged from behind by obviously irate drivers who are pushing my bumper to either speed up or get off the road. I'm sure many of you know the feeling.
It would be a good idea to have these bumper stickers to let them know what you are doing. One idea I would propose is develop a flashing LED with the same messages as the bumper sticker. This would serve as a warning to slow and also to give them the message slowing down is a good way to save gas. Incidentally, I would also like to see these kind of flashing lights developed for motorscooters. I have been riding small motorscooters that get 80 MPG that can make 55 MPH easily, but not 65-80 at all. Flashing LEDs would be useful here. The bumper stickers would help, too.
Keep on slowing!
John F. Bamberger
Thanks for the suggestion John. We googled "LED License Plate Frame" and found a few available that can be programmed with any message, they are a bit pricey at around $60, but still a great idea, especially for night time driving.
How you can help?
Here is the plan to spread our message, promote and fund the project: we need YOU to take the lead in your community and buy a dozen stickers. Keep two for your own vehicles and give away (or sell) the other ten. This will cost about $50, plus tax & shipping, and will accomplish three immediate benefits.
Putting stickers on your own vehicles will help alter your driving habits, who wants to be a hypocrite, right?
Stickers on your vehicles will help spread the message to other drivers while putting speeders on notice of your intention.
One dollar for each sticker sold goes to support the project with more promotion and lobbying efforts, so even if you don't get a dozen, every little bit helps!
We are also working to have a large corporation, such as an insurance company or member of the oil industry, pay to print and distribute 1 million of our bumper stickers and we could give them away. Perhaps this will happen too, but in the meantime we are fortunate to have www.CafePress.com/peacetrain and they do swell job of on demand fulfillment. So if you want to do something now, please do visit the CafePress site soon and join us as a leader in your community.
