Speed Limiters Could Soon Be Required on Most Commercial Trucks

It’s not often that the trucking industry and federal government agree on something, so when they do it’s definitely news.

There is a proposal from the Obama administration on the table to limit the speed of all new big rigs and other large commercial vehicles to no more than 60-68 miles an hour on the highway. Experts believe that not only would this reduce the number of commercial truck accidents, it would also save a great deal of fuel.

Near Unanimous Support

Even though speed limiting technology has been available for nearly 25 years, trucking industry advocates have fought governmental requirements to use it in all trucks. However, the industry has apparently come around to the side of safety.

If the new proposal goes into effect, all new passenger vehicles, buses and trucks that weigh in excess of 26,000 pounds will be required to have active speed limiters installed. The exact limit has yet to be determined. While safety advocates say the limit should be 60 mph, the trucking industry reportedly wants the limits set at 65 or 68 mph.

A spokesman from the American Trucking Association said that his group is fully supportive of the proposal, citing the fact that speed is a factor in 23 percent of all truck crashes. A U.S. Department of Transportation spokesman said that not only would the proposal save lives, it would also help conserve fuel and limit CO2 emissions.

At Baron & Budd, we’re obviously on board with any initiative that will make our nation’s highways safer places on which to drive. However, we are well aware that no matter what safety initiatives that are put in place, it’s an unfortunate fact that accidents will continue to happen and lives will continue to be altered forever.