New bill seeks to eliminate lower speed limit for CMVs on Idaho roadways

A new bill that would eliminate lower speed limits for commercial vehicles on Idaho roadways was introduced this week. 

The proposed House Bill 664 seeks to amend a current Idaho law that sets speed limits for commercial vehicles lower than the speed limit for passenger vehicles and lighter trucks. If passed, the bill would apply to trucks 26,000 pounds and over. 

According to the bill text, the bill has been introduced as a way to reduce accidents, suggesting that varying speed limits on roadways can cause safety issues on Idaho roadways. The bill claims that a variance in speed limits causes more accidents than one singular one speed limit. Because of this, commercial vehicles should have the same speed limits as all other vehicles on the road. 

If passed, the bill would go into effect on July 1st. The bill still needs to pass the House and Senate.