Gov't wants to lower speed limits for trucks

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There is a problem with truck speed. Two of the scariest driving situations I've been in have been on the OH and IN turnpike, in snow and heavy rain. The trucks keep going at full speed while the cars slow down. Being passed by a lot of trucks (many doubles that are more difficult to control), that create splash/spray in bad conditions is highly unsafe. In the snow situation I saw one tuck in the median and one literally hanging off an overpass.

So speed control is important, in terms of driving to the conditions. Not sure that artificially lowering the max speed would help since it would create yet another big delta under certain conditions.
 
This is part of getting the us human drivers ready for self driving trucks. No driver to pay, run slow to save fuel and tires.

Supposedly it is dangerous to have vastly different speeds on highways. In China 3 lanes all have different speeds, outside lane may have 15 KPH vehicles in it, inside lane has 80 kph and drivers often driving at 120 to 140 KPH.

We will be the guinea pigs.

Rod
 
Bad idea to limit truck/bus speed. It is safer to drive in states with the same speed limit for all vehicles than states where truck/trailers are limited to 55 while other vehicles can do 65.
Rolling road blocks aren't good for anyone.
 
How many fatal non-heavy truck crashes happen per year?

I don't see how limiting their top speed will solve anything.

This won't stop the ones that run red lights on the highway or speed through a 45.

This problem isn't limited to just semis although driving an 80,000 lb vehicle requires additional responsibility, hence the need for a CDL, IMO.
 
Like so many issues out there today - how about each state get real and actually enforce the speed limit. I can tell you only a fool will speed in the town I live. (Or a first timer there)
But once out on the highways I try to drive the speed limit and often get a close mirror view of a Peterbilt emblem.
 
It was experimented with in the 70's and 80's. I lived through it. Speed limit 65 trucks 55. How did that work out?
 
On interstate highways I feel there should be some difference in speed between cars and trucks. As it is no with the same limit the trucks tend to pile up in groups, aka rolling road blocks.
 
When in used to drive through Arkansas that state had a 65 speed limit for trucks while it was 70 for cars.

I thought it was great. It kept trucks in that right-hand lane where they belong. Cars could easily pass them and traffic flowed fine all the times I was there.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
California limits vehicles with more than 2 axles to 55mph and has for decades.
Illinois use to do that when 65mph was the max for cars on the interstates. When they went up to 70mph so did the trucks. It's a mess at times. I usually don't drive the interstate at 70mph and will be passed by two or three trucks at a time.

The 5 mph difference would be good as long as all followed the speed limit.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
California limits vehicles with more than 2 axles to 55mph and has for decades.
it's very dangerous too.cars are running 80+ and trucks maybe 62.every day a car going fast smashes into a slower truck
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: tom slick
California limits vehicles with more than 2 axles to 55mph and has for decades.
it's very dangerous too.cars are running 80+ and trucks maybe 62.every day a car going fast smashes into a slower truck
And that would probably happen anyway. Better than the truck smashing into the car.
 
Keep the driver off of cellphone and poor drivers will wreck because of their driving styles . We used to run 80 mph when driving in the open states in the 1970s . Snow , ice and wind is an accident waiting to happen.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
u (many doubles that are more difficult to control),
have you ever driven doubles? In my 20 years of truck driving I learned to like them.they are much safer than 1 long stupid trailer.doubles do not have to swing into oncoming traffic to make a right turn and can turn around on a 2 lane road. 2 very important things a 53 can't do.if given a choice I'd pull doubles or triples every day
 
People will drive at whatever speed they want. Doesn't matter what the speed limit is, and never has. They will risk a ticket, no problem. Government knows lower speed limits will not work, but it makes it look like they are doing something.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
u (many doubles that are more difficult to control),
have you ever driven doubles? In my 20 years of truck driving I learned to like them.they are much safer than 1 long stupid trailer.doubles do not have to swing into oncoming traffic to make a right turn and can turn around on a 2 lane road. 2 very important things a 53 can't do.if given a choice I'd pull doubles or triples every day
The nut sitting behind the steering wheel is the most important safety device.
 
The ridiculously lenient hours of service rules would be a better bet, but we know how far that would get.

I don't see a lot of speeding by trucks anymore. Two speeding tickets in 18 months and you lose your CDL. I'm sure plenty of companies fire you for getting one. They have GPS on all these trucks that can ring an alarm at the home office if you speed.
 
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