Speed limiter debate heats up stateside

WASHINGTON — Following in the tire treads of its Canadian cousins, leaders of the American Trucking Associations headed to Washington to tout the potential benefits of a national speed limiter mandate.

And as it’s done over the last couple years in Toronto — where a similar law first originated (and now in effect) — the largest owner-op group in the U.S. preemptively shot down the proposal to cap truckers’ engine speed at 65 mph. 

ATA unveiled its bold new highway safety agenda at a press conference on Capitol Hill this week, which among its 18 provisions includes such measures as a maximum 65mph speed limit policy; support for uniform commercial drivers license (CDL) testing standards; and increased use of red light cameras and automated speed enforcement.

While the ATA promotes their agenda as "progressive" and "safe", the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) says it’s neither and will cause more accidents than it prevents.

"Such a mandate is dangerous, expensive and unnecessary because research clearly shows that highways are the safest when all traffic flows at a uniform speed," OOIDA states in a press release. "Speed limiting trucks, while not doing the same for cars, will cause speed differentials and interactions, which will lead to more accidents."

OOIDA says truckers don’t normally speed but require access to that little bit of extra power to keep up with the speed of traffic and to be able to maneuver around dangerous situations.

The group contends that the plan’s real goal is to limit competition and "set the stage for heavier and longer vehicles." More recently, the ATA has attempted to "greenwash" the issue by citing environmental benefits.

But just like the Canadian Trucking Alliance north of the border, the ATA is getting kudos from safety groups. 

"We admire the fact that many members of the ATA are among the most safety-conscious corporate citizens in America. Road Safe America is proud to throw its support behind these commonsense, cost-effective, straightforward safety rules," Road Safe America Executive Director Tom Hodgson said.