Truckers: Speed Limiters on Large Trucks Make Roads Dangerous (Video by OOIDA)

NOTE: Regarding comments that speed limited trucks in the right lane should just “slow down and let” other vehicles pass.

That won’t work!

There are efforts to make this a national mandate for all trucks. If all trucks are going less than the flow of traffic and taking up all lanes, then there would be no way for cars to pass at all. If all trucks are restricted to the right lane, there would be no way for other vehicles to exit or enter the highway. If slower trucks in the right lane just “slow down” that will cause even more congestion! Everyone should be opposed to differential speed limits because they are counterproductive to safety, limit the ability of truck drivers to fully-control their vehicle, and negatively impact the behavior of other drivers and vehicles. Ultimately, they create more interactions between cars and trucks which leads to dangerous passing, aggressive driving, and an increase in the number of accidents. They are also a contributing factor to increased congestion and inefficiencies with local, regional, and national goods movement.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the nation’s only organization representing professional and small-business truckers, created a video demonstrating the dangers of speed limited trucks.

The video is designed not only for the trucking community, but also for all highway users, so that they can learn the dangers of speed differentials created by artificially speed limiting large trucks.

A mandate to limit the speed of large trucks was proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in September of 2016. The Association is opposed to such a mandate saying such devices create congestion and speed differentials, which lead to higher accident involvement rates.

OOIDA points out that studies and research have already proven what we were all taught long ago in driver’s education classes, that traffic is safest when vehicles all travel at the same relative speed. Limiting trucks to speeds less than the flow of traffic increases interactions between vehicles which can lead to more crashes.

The video demonstrates in animated format along with infographics what happens to traffic when trucks are speed limited. It also includes a short interview with Dr. Steven Johnson, a researcher that has conducted extensive empirical studies on highways and speed.

OOIDA wants policymakers on the federal level to recognize the negative consequences of over regulating the trucking industry. The Association also recently launched an effort called the “Knock Out Bad Regs” campaign in which its members are encouraged to push back against excessive trucking regulations.

The campaign helps educate and encourage Association members on what they need to do in identifying their lawmakers in Washington D.C. and reaching out to them effectively.

The “Knock Out Bad Regs” effort will give OOIDA members the tools to hold the Administration and Congress to their pledge to reduce regulations.

Visit www.fightingfortruckers.com for more information on Knock Out Bad Regs.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the only national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers.

OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the Greater Kansas City, Mo., area. The Association currently has more than 157,000 members nationwide.