Texas currently has the highest speed limit in the country - 80 miles per hour out west.

But one lawmaker says you can stretch your gas dollar by dialing that down to 55.

There are calls for a national speed limit but not everybody thinks a limit would be a good idea.

Three generations of the Koch family are traveling in a van from Tulsa to San Antonio. Ken Koch calls dropping the national speed limit to 55 a bad idea.

"Makes it too long, trips are too long," he said.

The Koch family would save $18 dollars each way if they slowed down from 65. Gail Koch is all for it.

"It didn't really bother me back in the 70s, so I don't know if it would bother me now," she said.

By driving pickups or SUVs slower, you'd save $8 on a trip from Dallas to Austin and $17 to South Padre Island. Mid-sized cars would save about $4 to Austin and $10 to South Padre.

"I think people are so used to driving that fast on the freeways and highways, I think it would be hard for them to go back down to 55," said holiday traveler, Cheryl Harp.

Some drivers make no bones about it. They say they'd rather pay more at the pump, than slow down on the highways. They believe the government should find solutions to the out-of-control gas prices from somewhere else.

The Sims and Brights are on their way to Lake Texoma from Arlington. Their priority is getting there faster.

"The oil companies need to throttle back a little bit themselves, instead of putting it on the American people," said Steve Bright.

Several states passed resolutions asking congress to lower the speed limit to 55. Texas is not one of them.

E-mail sstoler@wfaa.com.