Recently, the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) reported that while the number of deaths occurring in crashes involving semi tractor-trailers, the number of collisions has risen. Now, the bureaucrats want to create a regulation requiring all semi trucks to be electronically governed to 65 miles per hour. I thought we wanted fewer crashes, not more.
Yesterday, September 15, 2016, I was on Highway 2 here in Nebraska. The speed limit is 65 miles per hour. A Swift tractor-trailer was traveling at 50 miles per hour. That’s right: 50 mph. This truck was impeding the flow of traffic and more than one motorist following this truck had to pass the Swift truck in order to get around it on this two-lane road. What does your common sense tell you about some vehicles going 65 passing a 50 mph truck on a 2 lane highway?
A 65 mile limiter on this Swift truck would not have changed this scenario one bit. It does illustrate, however, what is going to happen on our interstate highways if all trucks are limited to 65 mph. Swift and Prime will still be going 50 to 62 mph while other trucks will go 65. Cars and light trucks will still be going 65-75 mph. This is a recipe for more crashes, more injuries and more deaths. The proposed regulation will unnecessarily create road rage leading to outrageous behavior.
I often characterize Prime and Swift trucks as Menaces on the Highway. A regulation limiting all trucks to 65 will create more menaces. It is just plain dumb.
I do see why some special interests are pushing for 65 mph limiters on trucks, though. Big companies like Werner, Crete, Swift, Prime, etc. want to attack their competition any way they can. Their competition is driving faster than 65 mph. These super-big carriers have a lot of money to throw at politicians to help them attack small businesses that prevent the super-big carriers from becoming even larger. To these large carriers, it is always about the money.
See the Lincoln Journal Star article for more…http://journalstar.com/ap/business/truckers-warn-speed-caps-will-cause-crashes-jam-highways/article_37d2c4fc-c017-593c-9bde-0041205f8c29.html
– Attorney Tony J. Brock