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Speed Limiters

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Large trucks have been equipped with speed limiter technology since the 1990s.[1] This life-saving feature allows them to limit their maximum operating speeds. Numerous leading U.S. motor carriers have voluntarily set their speed limiters for years. Slower speeds reduce the severity of crashes and improve a large truck’s fuel efficiency.[2]

Speed limiters prevent speed from being used as a dangerous competitive advantage by the heaviest vehicles on our roads

Facts on Heavy Vehicle Speed Limiters

A study conducted by the Unites States Department of Transportation concluded that trucks using speed limiters were in half as many high-speed collisions as those not using speed limiters.[3]

According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, speed-related, at-fault truck crashes fell by 73% after mandatory speed limiter technology took effect in the Canadian province in 2009.[4]

An ex-post evaluation published by the European Commission in 2013 on the installation and use of speed limiters recommended “to keep the current obligation of speed limiters for HCVs [Heavy Commercial Vehicles] and to keep the level of the maximum speed of the speed limiters at the current levels.”[5]

Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) looked at approximately 2,800 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes in 20 counties across the state of Texas and found:

  • “Speeding” was one of the driving behaviors that “had the most impact on CMV-at fault crashes,”

  • When speeding was a contributing factor, estimated crash costs were 20 percent higher than crashes where speeding was not a contributing factor,” and

  • Crashes with speed citations had a 170 percent greater injury/fatality risk per crash.[6]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration determined that limiting the speed of heavy vehicles to 65-68 mph would save 27-214 lives annually.[7]

According to an analysis of the FARS data (2009-2019) by the Institute for Safer Trucking:

  • Fatal large truck crashes involving speeding increased 50 percent between 2009 and 2019.

  • Fatalities in large truck crashes on roads with speed limits of 75mph or more increased 191 percent compared to a 44 percent increase on roads with speed limits of 70mph or less.[8]

A 2018 national survey by McLaughlin and Associates shows most Americans support Congress requiring the use of speed limiters on large trucks:

  • 79% said they favor this requirement.

  • 45% strongly favor it.

  • Only 13% oppose it.

[1] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/USDOT%20Speed%20Limiting%20Devices%20NPRM.pdf

[2] Ibid.

[3] Jeffrey S. Hickman, Feng Guo, Richard J. Hanowski, Richard Bishop, Gene Bergoffen & Dan Murray (2012) Safety Benefits of Speed Limiters in Commercial Motor Vehicles Using Carrier-Collected Crash Data, Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems, 16:4, 177-183, DOI: 10.1080/15472450.2012.704340

[4] https://img.overdriveonline.com/files/base/randallreilly/all/migrated-files/ovd/2019/07/Ontario-Transport-Ministry-Report-on-Speed-Limiters-effectiveness-2019-07-02-15-15.pdf

[5] European Commission, 2013, Evaluation study on Speed Limitation Devices. Ex-post evaluation of Directive 92/6/EEC on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for certain categories of motor vehicles in the Community, as amended by Directive 2002/85/EC. Directorate-general for Mobility and Transport. Transport & Mobility Leuven. Belgium

[6] https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/tti-cmv-crashes.pdf

[7] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/USDOT%20Speed%20Limiting%20Devices%20NPRM.pdf

[8] Data analyzed by the Institute for Safer Trucking. Data from Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).