slow down under a new speed limit designed to reduce energy use, angering some
motorists but pleasing others who say every euro saved helps a nation slammed
by Libya’s oil chaos and Europe’s financial crisis.
Spain’s
maximum highway speed limit went from 75 mph to 68 mph.
The
new speed limit was reminiscent of a similar U.S. move in the 1970s to reduce
energy consumption.
Spanish
government officials say the new limit plus a host of other energy-saving
measures are essential because Spain depends on imports for 75 per cent of its
energy, in contrast to the European Union average of 60 per cent.
Violators
will face fines of $140 for exceeding the new limit, but won’t be penalized on
their driving licenses.
Drivers
will have to go above 93 mph to face penalties affecting their licenses.
The
new highway speed limit will stay until 30 June
and could be extended, so it’s not clear how fast European drivers can
go when they flock to Spain for summer vacations.
The
national speed limit reduction is reminiscent of a 1974 U.S. law that reduced
highway speed limits to 55 mph.
That
law was eventually changed to allow 65 mph speed limits for major highways, and
U.S. states now set their own limits. Some western U.S. states allow 80 mph in
flat rural areas.
Spain
and other European nations depend heavily on Libyan crude, and Libyan oil
production has been drastically curtailed amid intense fighting between
government forces and rebels trying to oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
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