55 Mph facts
While investigating facts about 55 Mph, I found out little known, but curios details like:
America's Pronghorn "Antelope" is 2nd in Running Speed (55 mph) Only to the Cheetah; that it Likely Evolved this Speed to Outrun the Now-Extinct American Cheetah; and that, Despite Appearances, it is NOT an Antelope at All, but Rather Most Closely Related to Giraffes!
When driving at 55 mph, the average text takes your eyes off the road long enough to cover a football field.
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 11 of the best facts about 55 Mph I managed to collect.
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When the national highway speed limit was set at 55 mph, it had nothing to do with improving safety, but was intended to optimize fuel consumption after the 1973 oil crisis. It was repealed in 1995 and states could once again set their own limits.
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There used to be a national speed limit, set at 55 mph. During WWII, it was 35 mph (the "Victory Speed Limit").
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Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 mph(89 kph) in short bursts.
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The AC72 sailboats were expected to be able to sail at 1.6 times the speed of the wind. In reality they actually regularly achieved 1.8 times the speed of the wind, with the speed record being 55 mph(2.2 times wind speed at the time)
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The optimum speed to achieve the best fuel economy in a car is 55-60 MPH.
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During 1973-1974 oil embargo, national highway speed limits were lowered to 55 mph in an attempt to force Americans to drive at speeds deemed more fuel-efficient
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Congress capped the national speed limit at 55 mph (88 km/h) in response to a fuel shortage, not as a safety precaution
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The Oh-My-God particle. A cosmic ray proton traveling at 99.99999999999999999999951% the speed of light, with the equivalent kinetic energy to that of a baseball traveling 55 mph.
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The Nissan Leaf is the worlds fastest car to go in reverse at 55 MPH
