New Speed Regulations Proposed for Large Trucks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have teamed up to propose new restrictions on large trucks on U.S roadways. The restrictions would limit large trucks’ maximum speed on all roads. Experts estimate that the measure would save lives and decrease fuel costs by more than $1 billion each year. Proponents see the rule as a huge win for both safety and the environment.
Installing Speed Devices
The proposal involves installing speed limitation devices (electronic engine control units or ECUs) for any vehicle over 26,000 pounds, including commercial trucks, buses, multi-purpose passenger vehicles, and school buses. The device would restrict the vehicle from traveling above a certain speed. Speeds of 60, 65, and 68 have been discussed. The NHTSA Administrator, Mark Rosekind, explains, “Even small increases in speed have large effects on the force of impact. Setting the speed limit on heavy vehicles makes sense for safety and the environment.”
The commercial trucking company would be responsible for maintaining the speed limit devices, which means the majority of the costs would fall on the trucking companies themselves. It would give manufacturers three years to ensure that their truck fleets were properly equipped with the required ECUs before issuing fines or other sanctions for violations of the rule. The rule would apply with equal force to manufacturers and those who purchase large trucks.
ECUs have been installed in many trucks since 1999, mostly for internal control of speed. The devices may or may not have been used, however. The regulation would not only require that ECUs be installed in new trucks, but they would be set at a standard speed throughout the country.
Large Trucks and Safety
Two data-gathering mechanisms, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System (NASS GES) analyzed crash data involving large trucks between 2004 and 2013. When it considered those accidents and that speed likely affected the severity of the collision, it found that those crashes alone resulted in 10,440 deaths over that ten-year period. Annually, that means that there were roughly 1,044 deaths caused by trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds traveling at high speeds. As a rule, then, crashes involving large trucks are deadlier at higher speeds than accidents at lower speeds.
Truck accidents disproportionally affect other drivers. For example, in 2010, 3,413 people died in accidents involving large trucks, and only 14 percent of those were the individuals occupying the truck. Occupants of different vehicles made up 73 percent of deaths while motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians made up the other 13 percent. Most these accidents occurred on roads other than interstate highways.
The sheer size of larger trucks often makes them more dangerous because of increased stopping time and difficulty in controlling the vehicle in severe weather conditions. While large trucks account for only four percent of the registered vehicles on the road, they are involved in nine percent of the motor vehicle crash deaths.
The proposed rule would hopefully increase safety overall while also having a positive effect on the environment. The trucking companies themselves would ultimately end up saving costs related to fuel and insurance.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident with a large truck, you may have legal options. Call 833-LEGALGA today to speak with tractor-trailer attorney Joel Williams for more information.
