The speed limiter issue
There are at least 4000 comments received by the the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — both DOT agencies – related to limiting truck engine speeds to 68 mph.
Not surprisingly, while there are safety advocates and ATA member fleets supporting this plan, many independent drivers and truckers are not for it. What about public opinion?
One of the responses strongly supported the speed limiting on commercial trucks to minimize accidents because of speeding. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association feels that the speed limiter will hardly have an effect on speeding, but will impact highway safety negatively. The benefits of limiting speeds are not convincing enough to be implemented.
Another issue is whether the FMCSA or NHTSA has the authority to create a rule that would effectively set speed limits on state highways, because effective 1995, highway speed is regulated by individual states.
The Best Highway Safety Practices Institute in Portland feels that speed limiters will reduce the capacity of multi-lane roadways. The ATA fleet representatives feel that while variations in traffic speeds could have safety implications, cars are likelier to rear end a tractor trailer traveling at reduced speed. Imagine an 80000-pound tractor-trailer rear-ending an automobile! The speed limiters will shift the focus on such safety issues related to automobile operations around trucks. It is felt that increased variances in traffic speeds between cars and trucks will not create a greater safety problem.
The outcome of the speed limiter issue remains to be seen.