On January 2, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon signed a bill limiting the speed limit on all highways to conserve gas consumption. The Arab-Israeli conflict in 1973 ended easy access to cheap oil from the Mideast, and OPEC quadrupled oil prices. By lowering highway speeds to 55, the intent was to set a more fuel-efficient speed. Congress finally repealed the law in 1995, and states again set speeds: generally, 35-45 mph in congested areas; 75 mph on long stretches of rural highways.
