Speed Limiters- my letter to my Congressman's

moose

Veteran Expediter
please advise before i click it in:

Good morning.
To the honorable Congressman,
In the next few days the NHTSA will advance a rule making proposal to the office of Management and Budget, requiring speed limiters on all new trucks to be set @ 65 MPH.
By writing this letter, am asking the Congressman to take active measures to prevent this rule making.
This is a very dangerous proposal that is sponsor by large business, aimed at regulating it’s competitions out of business, at the price of creating great safety hazard to all motorists.
Speed limiters are not a safety device, infact speed limiters create great risk on our HWY.

According to the {NHTSA}National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash data for the year 2011, which is the latest data available, 283 fatal crashes involving a large truck had a speed-related factor. However, that does not necessarily mean the truck driver was speeding.

The term “speed related” will show on an accident investigation report if the driver of one of the vehicle, not necessarily the truck, was in violation of 392.2. – 392.2 define speeding as one of 7 criteria: such as speeding over the POSTED speed limit. Speeding in a work zone, failure to use caution for hazardous conditions, or using a radar detector.
According to the report, 82% of fatal crashes involving a large truck occurred on roads with posted speed limits at or lower than 65 mph. most of them on roadways with a posted speed limit between 50 and 55 mph. Obviously, the proposed speed cap of 65MPH will never reduce fatality on roads with speed limits lower than 65. Infact the opposite will happen. Speed limited trucks are notorious for speeding where they can.
The DATA that is used by the FMCSA & NHTSA to support this rule making is flowed in it’s core, as it used VMT {Vehicle mil. Traveled}, instead of the more accurate breakdown of using “accidents per 100 truck-years”. This is a prime example of “tell me your agenda- & I will find the statistic tools to prove it”.
Previous studies shown that vehicles traveling at different speeds will interact more than vehicles traveling at uniform speeds. This hazard also adds great congestion, and creates aggressive driving. As a professional driver I deal with those hazards daily.
Speeding-related crashes on higher-speed roads like interstates and freeways, the very places where a speed limiter would control truck speeds, represent less than 4 percent of all fatal truck-involved crashes and less than 0.3 percent of all fatal crashes, And there is no proof that a speed limiter would have prevented even these crashes.
Clearly the FMCSA & NHTSA, make the data as they go, and do not have the needed study’s to support their agenda.
Putting a speed-limiter mandate, without showing the real-world impacts to safety is a real sign of what’s wrong with our regulatory system. Taking into account the agency’s latest ‘sleep apnea’ rulemaking- starting to paint the picture for the way the DOT do business. It is up to congress to restrain them.
In today world, where speed limiters are allowed, carriers that used them, for the most part, are entry level carriers, that do not have the professional work force needed to safely drive a big rig. With the luck of federal minimum training guidelines, The CDL mills graduated cannot be trusted, and a speed limiter is just one of many electronic devices used by the large carriers to control the behavior of such inexperienced driver. The problem is, that the competitions- most drivers on the roads, do a much safer job.
In today’s trucking world, 85% of all trucks are owned by carriers with 5 trucks or less. It’s a mom & pap’s operation. Those trucks deliver more goods @ a better safety records, this proposed rule will do nothing what so ever to better our safety.
The ATA{American Trucking Association}, which in this case representing shippers, & have lobbied for this rule from as far back as 2006, know all of that very well. This rule is NOT about safety; it’s about regulating its competition out of business, capturing more market share, & avoiding investment in drivers training, or driver’s retentions. The ATA revolving door is what keeps rates down- @ great risk for everyone on our hwy’s.
By mandating reduced speed- more of the freight will be moved by inexperienced drivers.
The simple fact is: slowing down a fleet- will require more trucks to deliver the same freight.
Adding more trucks on our, already congested roads, will increase the costs of moving freight; create more crash opportunities, create what we call ‘road trains’{that’s when a line of speed limited trucks are tailgating for mil’s on, because none can pass}, make passing take a few mile at a time, make car drivers impatient & aggressively drive around big rigs. Make every small hill a road blockage & the mountains areas a snail zoon.
Not to mentions that we will need more roads to accommodate for those trucks. Each & every on/off ramp will need to be extended; we will need more parking spaces, more fueling pumps, more lines of travel, more officers to enforce the law, more technicians, more dispatcher, more instructors & so on.{is that how the administration ‘create jobs’?}.
This rulemaking was supposed to be delivered for the office of Management and Budget by Nov. 20[SUP]th[/SUP], however the latest Gov. shutdown might delay the publication.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I just happen to believe that 80,000 -100,000 lb truck should NOT be doing 75-80 mph down a public highway...just my opinion....not with the rodeo clowns out there now....
 

pwrwagn

Active Expediter
I just happen to believe that 80,000 -100,000 lb truck should NOT be doing 75-80 mph down a public highway...just my opinion....not with the rodeo clowns out there now....

Does anyone out there have data to show that Utah, Wyoming, and Nebraska ( they allow fast moving trucks) have dramatically higher truck accident rates per mile than, say, Oregon and Washington, which have a forced speed differential?

Frankly, my experience in a car is that I'm MUCH more comfortable with the trucks moving with the traffic, rather than being rolling obstructions. And my judgment would be that better drivers are vastly safer at 75 than a bad driver at 55.
 

moose

Veteran Expediter
OVM- Obviously you did not read the letter. it makes several scientific arguments why your 'believes' or 'opinions' are not backed by real data.
please, do PROVE us wrong.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
OVM- Obviously you did not read the letter. it makes several scientific arguments why your 'believes' or 'opinions' are not backed by real data.
please, do PROVE us wrong.

As i said....Mine is an opinion....no proof required...it is JUST opinion....

BTW....I did not say I was for limiters....I am against them....I think 100% ENFORCEMENT...and better training.....hit them where it hurts! Till the cowboys slowdown or lose their license...
 
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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
The letter is too long to be read by busy people in Washington. While your points are valid and well made, it would be wise to keep everything in but begin the letter with a summary parapraph to assist your reader in grasping the main points. Someone who becomes interested by the opening paragraph could then read on to learn more.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
The letter is too long to be read by busy people in Washington. While your points are valid and well made, it would be wise to keep everything in but begin the letter with a summary parapraph to assist your reader in grasping the main points. Someone who becomes interested by the opening paragraph could then read on to learn more.

Phil,

I don't agree with your idea that the letter is too long. I wrote an even longer one to my congressman on the HOS problem. I wish I had saved it to post in here. He answered, via snail mail. When I get a chance I will scan in that letter and post it here. I think that IF the letter/email, even if long, has solid points, that a good representative will, or his staff, will read it. I don't believe the problem is letters that are too long, the problem is a lack of reps who do their jobs as they should.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Phil,

I don't agree with your idea that the letter is too long.

You missed my point. I did not say to shorten the letter. I said to keep everything in but add a summary paragraph at the beginning for the reader's convenience.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Yeah, all the main points should be in the opening paragraph where pretty much everything you want to say is right there. Then, if they want to continue reading to get the details, they can do so. Sort of like a short version followed by the long version.
 

pwrwagn

Active Expediter
As i said....Mine is an opinion....no proof required...it is JUST opinion....

BTW....I did not say I was for limiters....I am against them....I think 100% ENFORCEMENT...and better training.....hit them where it hurts! Till the cowboys slowdown or lose their license...

You can't train judgement or common sense. You got it, or you don't.
 

moose

Veteran Expediter
the whole issue of fuel consumptions was intentionally kept out.
the ones behind this, keep repeating the LIE that speed limiters save fuel, they don't, they greatly increase the amount of fuel it takes to move same freight. and i considered arguing it, but kept it out for some strange rezone.
any of you, feel free to copy & tweak it, and send it over to your representative.
is there any OTHER argument you can think of, that is not already in the letter?
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Too many are trying to complicate the simple.
If trucks are set at 65mph, the rest of the traffic is moving above that on interstates.
We have millions of dollars already spent on split speed limits which provided the needed data for states to raise their truck speed limits.
Remember "how dangerous the split speed limits were".

There is you argument and it has already been studied to death. Another waste of taxpayers money.
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
What DaveKC said: speed limiters impose a split speed limit, which is far more dangerous than what it purports to 'improve'. Unintended consequences: we should learn from mistakes, not repeat them.
 

BobWolf

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
JB, Schnidre, and swift are in bed with the rail industry. Problem is Money is what motivates politicians, and that is what they will follow..

Bob Wolf
 

pearlpro

Expert Expediter
Show me the Autos that are driving the speed limit, If Im going down the road at 70 I get passed rapidly by virtually EVERY CAR on the road, @ 70....Nobody in the autos is following the LAW....Yes there are guys in trucks who speed, and I see them too, But have things gotten so bad in this country that they believe SPEED LIMITING TRUCKS is a real answer....if so, Im done....Ive driven trucks most of my life, and Ive never had a ticket....not one.....the common sense to know when and where you can drive 70 and where you should slow down isnt a machines responsibility, Its a drivers, If you cant do that, you shouldnt be driving. I agree make the fines STIFF...those that cant keep there foot off that throttle will be forced to eventually, or there Insurance will force them out, Speed Limited trucks are dangerous, and cause more accidents, Plain and simple.
 
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