America’s largest trucking industry association is urging the federal government to act quickly to mandate that speed-limiting devices be installed on all large trucks. Speeding is among the leading causes of truck accidents in America.
It is not that a rule has not been proposed, but rather that a proposed rule is stalled in the Transportation Secretary’s Office. Since August of 2014, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has been considering a rule to limit speed limits of big rigs to 65 mph.
When the Department of Transportation was contacted for comments, the department spokesman did not return calls. While many trucking companies have already installed speed-limiting devices in their big trucks, more than 30 percent of the large rigs on the nation’s highways are still free to speed.
Another reason that the industry is urging a uniform federal standard is that different states have different speed limits for large trucks. A rule preventing truckers from speeding above 65 mph would reduce the human cost of speeding and truck accidents by limiting all of them.
While most states limit big trucks to speeds below 75 mph, at least 14 states permit speeds that are 75 mph and higher. Additionally, states such as Texas, Wyoming, Utah and South Dakota go even a step further: these states permit truckers to exceed 80 mph.
Experts estimate that truck tires are not designed to go over 75 mph, and the industry is urging that the speeding cap be set at 65 mph. During the early 2000s, no U.S. state permitted speeds greater than 70 mph, so truck tires were designed with that in mind.
Unfortunately, as new speeding-legislation was introduced and passed in various jurisdictions across America, states increased the speed limits while the truck tire designs remained the same.
The discrepancy between the design of the truck tires and the actual speed limits endangers all motorists who share the roads with large trucks.
At Inkelaar Law, we know full well the devastating toll that a large truck accident can take on an entire family. This is why our truck accident attorneys work hard to defend the rights of seriously injury drivers and passengers.
You probably have a lot of questions after an accident; our attorneys have answers. To discuss your specific case, contact us for a free consultation.
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