Bill eliminating lower speed limits for semi trucks officially signed into law in Idaho

A law eliminating lower speed limits for semi trucks has officially been signed into law in Idaho this week. 

House Bill 664 was signed into law by Governor Brad Little on Monday, March 23rd. The bill will eliminate the lower posted speed limits for commercial trucks and leave only one speed limit for all road-legal vehicles on Idaho roadways. The bill has been passed on the grounds that a 10 mph speed limit difference has been found to increase dangerous circumstances on a highway by as much as 227%. 

“In the states that I’m driving through that have everybody doing the same speed limit. It’s much smoother,” said truck driver Arvel to Idaho News 6.

“I’m doing 70, he’s doing 65— I go to get over—and this car is coming up probably doing 80, 85 [mph]. Now, they’re hopping in the right lane to go around you because they think you cut them off,” he said. 

Arvel also points out that the change in speed limit will not affect trucks already governed at 65 to 68 mph. 

“Some of these trucks are governed to about 65 to 68 miles an hour. The guys who are stuck at those governed miles, they pretty much stay in the right lane— and then everybody else who’s able to do the speed limit, they’re able to just go past them,” added Arvel. “I don’t believe any of the trucks should be going over 80 miles per hour. I feel like 80 should be the cap.”

The new law will go into effect in Idaho on July 1st.