WASHINGTON — The deadline to comment on the Federal Motor Carrier Administration’s (FMCSA) proposal to install speed limiters in commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) is fast approaching.
The comment period for the advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking ends July 18. So far, nearly 15,000 individuals and trucking companies have commented on the issue.
Click here to add a comment on the Federal Register.
The notice does not give a specific speed limit to be set; however, it does state that “the agency is considering making the rule only applicable to CMVs manufactured after a certain date, such as 2003, because this is the population of vehicles for which ECUs (electronic engine control units) were routinely installed and may potentially be used to govern the speed of the vehicles.”
Additionally, the rule, if adopted, would affect CMVs “in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, that are equipped with ECUs capable of governing the maximum speed be required to limit the CMV to a speed to be determined by the rulemaking and to maintain that ECU setting for the service life of the vehicle.”
The move is a follow-up to a 2016 joint proposal between the FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for CMV speed limiters.
A representative of Beyond Dirt LLC wrote on the comment page: “Limiting speeds in trucks will not make them safer. All it will do is impede traffic in places where the truck speed limit is higher, making driving a truck more dangerous for the truck driver because the cars around it will be making aggressive maneuvers to get around it. This law is an over reach, if there is a problem with a few truck speeding, you need to use the State Patrol to in force the speed limit on those law breaking drivers and not make this job more dangerous for the rest of us.”
Karl Wendtand wrote: “This is a stupid idea, the danger of more accidents from cars hitting trucks will go up more if you do this. I own my truck and even though it will go much faster I drive it at the speed that gives me the best safety and fuel mileage. I have over 42 years on the road and have never had an accident, or even a ticket in 30 years. Punishing me and other professional drivers for actions by car drivers is not only unfair and discriminating to those of us that do the hard work of delivering everything you buy. If you really want to lose the older and safer drivers then pass this regulation.the driver shortage will increase by over 50% and you will destroy this industry.”
Daniel Kautz wrote: “If you are going to put speed limiters on semis and big trucks.. then you need to put them on the car and the pickups also ..they are the ones doing 110 mph down the highway talking on their cell phones using their tablets and laptops that are attached to their dash.”
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
How about trying it out with cars first, see how well that’ll go over with the motoring public………kinda like a fart in church !!
It would be bad for everyone cars too. It would make it hard for everyone to pass each other cars too. Everyone would be upset about it.
If you research they are looking to speed limit 4 wheelers.
Does speed matter? Over 12,000 cars were involved in fatal accidents at 55 mph, the most of any speed.
Driving slower is safer, according to available crash data. The NHTSA reports that in 2019, 12,681 cars travelling at 50 to 60 mph were involved in a fatal accident. 11,814 cars at 60+ mph were involved in a fatal accidents. In contrast, fewer than 4,800 vehicles travelling at 30 mph or slower were involved in a fatal crash.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/what-are-the-most-common-types-of-car-accidents-nationwide-statistic-overview-301391422.html
Going make the highways a blood bath
Terrible Mistake For Many Reasons,Experienced Drivers will Walk. Why Must You Learn the Hard Way? Future Fatalities,Will Be on Your Hands