OOIDA TO CONGRESS: NO MANDATED SPEED LIMITERS PLEASE

OOIDA (Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association) asked on Oct 18th that the House Appropriations committee to remove the specific language for an upcoming bill that would then require a final decision to mandate speed limiters.

This all started back in August when the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed equipping heavy-duty vehicles with speed limiters that is devices that limit trucks speed on US highways. Right now there is debate over the necessity of theses devices but also what the maximum speed should be. According to DOT Secretary Fox this safety measure could lead to $1 billion in fuel savings cost a year and more importantly could save lives. In the first 6 months this year there were over 17,700 fatalities on the road (not all involving heavy duty trucks).

According to OOIDA this would be an undue burden as they cite that research indicates these speed limiters would in fact reduce safety. They cite that while having a maximum speed can help reduce cost, this would force “speed differentials” between heavy trucks and every other vehicle on the road. In essence if not all vehicles have this equipment in place there will be more unsafe maneuvering and crashes.

OOIDA states this is especially problematic for smaller carriers, which make up the bulk of trucks on the road. Most carriers are small businesses with 20 or fewer vehicles. If the rule does go into effect all new vehicles of 26,000lbs or over would be required to have speed limiters installed. If this law does go into effect carriers will likely pass on the cost to their shippers.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the proposed legislation or any questions you have.

Leave a comment below or for questions call 717-626-1107×3 or email sales@pnglc.com