Accident Reconstruction Network > News > November 2005 > 11/19/05

Accident Reconstruction News Article

The Ontario Trucking Association called on the provincial government this week to make it law for trucks to be outfitted with devices limiting their speed to 105 km/h.

But even those who support the idea say it will could create havoc on highways if adopted.

"Where there's only two lanes, there will be a huge frustration level," OPP Const. Kevin Armstrong said Friday. "I think it's a good idea," said the accident reconstruction expert, who knows slower speeds result in less severe crashes.

But he foresees Ontario highways transformed into "the Thanksgiving day parade."

At 105 km/h, trucks will have to keep to the right lane.

If they do pull out to pass a slower-moving vehicle, they could quickly cause a mile-long backup of cars behind them.

"There are lots of people who don't like to be between trucks," he added. These nervous drivers, some moving at or just below the speed limit, may clog the passing lane, causing frustrated drivers to tailgate or break the law and pass on the right.

Armstrong said the temptation will be great for truckers to either flout the law or tamper with the electronic device which governs the engine speed. American operators may simply ignore the law, he warned.

"There are all kinds of potential loopholes."

But David Bradley, Ontario Trucking Association president, said compliance will be mandatory if legislated.

He said Ministry of Transportation inspectors and police officers can be equipped with handheld devices which read the engine microchips to make sure the governors are activated and set at the legal limit.

He said many Ontario and U.S. companies already use governors. He said, while a recent poll showed only about half of truckers support their use, the majority of companies represented by his association want the use of governors mandated.

But Richard Morrice, who owns a local trucking company with 100 trucks in its fleet, said there will be lots of opposition to the proposed legislation.

His trucks used to have governors set at 100 km/h. But the speed was too slow to be safe, so the devices were reset with an upper limit of 112 km/h.

"As a member of OTA, I support it," he said.

"But I think it may be a tad slow."

The call by the OTA has garnered the support of safety organizations and environmentalists.

The OTA said the move will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared to a speed limit of 120 km/h, a speed limit of 105 km/h will represent annual fuel savings of about $8,400 per truck.

The province has yet to respond to the call, made Thursday at the OTA's annual general meeting in Toronto.

The OTA respresents 1,100 of the estimated 3,000 trucking companies in Ontario.

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