The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) seeking to mandate speed limiting devices on commercial motor vehicles. An initial review of the NOI has found that FMCSA is not yet defining a maximum speed, but is soliciting comments to a specific set of questions, and evaluating data on speed limiting devices to determine a maximum speed setting. The NOI will be published in the Federal Register and can be found here. Further details, including summary documents will be provided following an in-depth review of the NOI.
Following the announcement of the NOI, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) issued the following statement:
“ATA is pleased that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is pursuing a constructive, data-driven approach to the issue of truck speed limiters in its latest proposal. We intend to thoroughly review FMCSA’s proposal, and we look forward to working with the agency to shape a final rule that is consistent with our policy supporting the use of speed limiters in conjunction with numerous other safety technologies.”
On the other hand, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is against the requirement arguing that it will make road conditions less safe. “Studies and research have already proven what we were all taught long ago in driver’s ed classes, that traffic is safest when vehicles all travel at the same relative speed,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “Limiting trucks to speeds below the flow of traffic increases interactions between vehicles, which can lead to more crashes.”
It’s important to note that this is not a final rule. Comments on the NOI will be accepted for 30 days after publication in the Federal register. The Agency has also published a list of FAQs, specific to this NOI, which can be found here.
Leave a Reply