FMCSA Report Addresses Safety Benefits of Limiting Truck Speeds

AASHTO Journal, 6 April 2012

A report released from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration late last month concludes there are key safety benefits when it comes to the use of technology to electronically monitor and restrict the top speed of commercial trucks. The report, which is the second in a two-phase series on the issue, focuses on such aspects as best practices and the identification and inclusion of feedback from various stakeholders on the limitation of speeds.

“From a safety perspective, slowing down large trucks may result in lower travel risks for all motorists on the road by possibly reducing collisions and mitigating the severity of collisions that do occur,” the report states.

In further exploring that issue and analyzing related data, the report finds significantly positive benefits with respect to the installation of speed limiters in commercial trucks. Those trucks equipped with speed limiters, for example, had a notably lower crash rate compared to trucks without those devices. In addition, the report concludes that the cost for that technology is negligible and should not be deemed a prohibitive expense.

“Slowing down traffic is the most important step toward improving highway safety,” said Bill Graves, president and CEO of the American Trucking Association, in a statement. “The Department of Transportation should be commended for sponsoring this comprehensive field study and, in addition to using its findings, it should be a model for how all safety regulations are researched and supported.”

The 94-page report, “Research on the Safety Impacts of Speed Limiter Device Installations on Commercial Motor Vehicles: Phase II,” is available at 1.usa.gov/FMCSA-Report.

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