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Why does your speedometer go to 140 mph?

There's two answers, actually.
Speedometer

Have you ever had a random question that you don't know the answer to? Or something that's always bothered you, and you wanted to know about? That's what our series, "Moe Knows" is for.

Maureen Kyle received an e-mail from Ginny S.: "WHY do car manufacturers indicate their vehicles have the capability to travel at a speed up to 140 miles per hour?"

We asked president of ALG, Larry Dominique, who says there are two reasons.

First, research found drivers want their average highway speed to be visible like a clock -- between 11 and 1 -- making speed easier to monitor.

Second, people out buying a car view one that can go up to 140 mph better than a car that only goes up to 120.

But don't try it.

Dominique says 80 percent of cars aren't built to go over more than 110 miles per hour.

Anyone remember when the speedometer only went up to 85?

That was a regulation by the Carter administration that prohibited speedometers to go any higher. They thought any higher would tempt people to speed.

Reagan scrapped that rule after they found no evidence that limiting the speedometer would reduce the number of lead feet.

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