Fed Wants to Reduce Trucking Accidents by Limiting Semi Speeds

The risk of motor vehicle collisions increases with both speed and vehicle size. To help reduce accidents involving speeding semi-trailer trucks, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced its intentions to propose a rule requiring the installation of speed limiting devices in large commercial trucks. Two trucking groups are behind this push to prevent heavy trucks from exceeding speeds of 68 miles per hour. Although the NHTSA will not propose a rule until 2012, this issue is currently up for debate.

Trucks and Tragedy

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a large truck has a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or more. While the number of registered large trucks on the roads has grown by over 3 million in the last three decades, the number of trucking accidents has also increased. Annual fatalities in 1975 were just over 3,700, but this increased to more than 4,500 just 30 years later. NHTSA numbers from 2007 to 2009 show over 13,000 deaths and more than 100,000 injuries from large truck crashes alone.

NHTSA Steps In

Two trucking groups, the American Trucking Associations and Road Safe America, along with multiple other motor carriers, voiced their concerns about the need to prevent large trucks from speeding and crashing. The NHTSA decided to grant their petitions, which asked to require that commercial truck manufacturers install speed limiter devised on all heavy trucks to keep their drivers from exceeding 68 miles per hour. The NHTSA will begin its process of creating the regulation in 2012, after it issues a notice of proposed rulemaking.

Speed Limiters

Speed limiter devices installed in large trucks use an electronic control unit to limit the flow of fuel to the engine, depending on the fuel injection type, when the programmed top speed is reached. Larger trucks are more difficult to operate, especially at higher speeds, and they have different performance standards than smaller vehicles. Other governments, such as the European Union, Australia, Japan and the Canada already mandate speed limiting devices for heavy commercial vehicles to reduce speed-related crashes and fuel costs.

Encouraging Safety

Speed limits factor in the abilities of humans, such as visual perception and reaction time, to operate their vehicles, which adhere to certain performance standards like brake time and adherence. The larger the truck, the more difficult it is to control, especially at higher speeds, so devices like speed limiters could help drivers of large trucks become safer for all on the road. If you or your loved one was involved in a crash with a large truck or semi-trailer, contact a skilled personal injury attorney to discuss your legal rights and options.