‘Safety’ group renews call for big rig speed limiters

A non-profit group that promotes highway safety has issued a renewed call for speed limiters on all Class 8 trucks.

On May 30, a group called Road Safe America shared a Facebook post encouraging constituents to contact their representatives to demand that the U.S. Department of Transportation issue a final rule that would require that speed limiters be placed on all semi trucks. The group advocates for a 65 m.p.h. speed limit for all trucks.

The post links to a webpage entitled “BIG-RIG SPEED-LIMITER USE MUST BE REQUIRED ON LARGE TRUCKS” that gives users quick access to contact their representatives in Congress to ask for speed limiters.

The group argues that most trucks are already equipped with speed limiters, so the cost of mandating their use would be negligible. They also cite some statistics that indicate that speed limiter technology cut down on fatal crashes:

Studies released by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation found that highway speed-related, at-fault truck crashes fell by 73% and fatalities in all crashes involving Big-Rigs dropped 24% after mandatory speed limiter technology took effect there in 2009.

Road Safe America is a group started by the parents of Cullum Owings, who was killed in a car vs. semi truck crash in 2002. In a statement posted on the group’s website, they maintain that they are not anti-trucking:

Road Safe America is not anti-trucking. We feel that the average trucker is not treated with the respect and courtesy they deserve. After all, they provide “backbone” services to the entire economy. They are also often overworked due to an incredibly dangerous and unfair predominant pay method – pay by-the-mile. We believe that this is not only unsafe, but also immoral.

In 2016, the DOT issued a proposal that would require speed limiters on any truck weighing more than 26,000 pounds. However, when Trump came into office, his administration chose not to pursue speed limiters and the proposal was withdrawn.