OH - Ohio Senate approves speed-limit increase for truckers on interstates

[StlouisX50]

Ohio Senate approves speed-limit increase for truckers on interstates

Increase to 65 mph clears Senate
Thursday, March 19, 2009 Karen Farkas and Aaron Marshall
Plain Dealer Reporters

The Senate accelerated a push for a uniform speed limit in Ohio by approving an increase in the speed limit for truckers on Ohio's interstates from 55 to 65 miles an hour.
The speed increase is part of the state transportation budget the Senate approved Wednesday by a 22-9 margin. The House already approved its version of the budget, which now is expected to go to a House/Senate conference committee to iron out differences.
The surprise move by Senate Republicans means truck drivers could soon be going the same speed as cars. Only the Ohio Turnpike currently allows truckers as well as cars to travel 65 mph.
The proposal means any vehicle and noncommercial buses weighing more than 8,000 pounds when empty would be able to put a little more pedal to the metal.
Raising the speed limit would please truckers but upset the State Highway Patrol.
"Obviously our concern is with our previous study of the Ohio Turnpike that saw a dramatic increase in fatal and injury crashes involving commercial trucks," said Lt. Shawn Davis, spokesman for the patrol. The study looked at non-weather-related crashes after the speed limit for trucks was raised from 55 to 65 in 2004.
Davis said truckers generally try to drive faster than the speed limit, which can lead to accidents.
"They look to see where their cushion is without getting stopped and if the limit is 65, they may run 68 or 69," he said.
Ohio, Illinois, Oregon and California are the only four states with a 55-mph speed limit for trucks. Other states have higher limits.
And Ohio is one of only 11 states where the speed limit is different for cars and trucks.
The Senate Republicans' move comes nearly a week after they had questioned George Distel, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike Commission, about the turnpike's uniform speed limits. Distel, testifying March 12 about the turnpike's budget, said increasing the speed limit to 65 for trucks has been successful.
"The issue is that it's safer when everyone is going the same speed," said Maggie Ostrowski, spokeswoman for the Senate Republican caucus, which controls the chamber by a 21-12 margin.
In recent years, bills introduced by legislators to raise the speed limit for trucks have failed, primarily after lobbying by the highway patrol.
The Ohio Trucking Association had remained neutral on those bills, but this year decided to push for a unified speed limit, said Larry Davis, president of the Ohio Trucking Association.
Davis said truckers know they save fuel by driving slower but think it is safer to travel the same speed as cars.
He said accidents happen when cars that pass trucks cut in front of them too soon or approach trucks too fast and run into the back of them.
The highway patrol disagrees that a uniform speed is safer. Officials there have said the faster a truck goes, the longer it takes to stop, and faster trucks do more damage in a collision.

[noTe]

Thank god.

It's so annoying when it takes three semi trucks over 15 minutes to pass a slower car on a two lane highway. At least now they can do the same speed as we can.

[9500ier]

These are the last people on the road that need to go faster though...

[supercowpowers]

He said accidents happen when cars that pass trucks cut in front of them too soon...

I can see that...

or approach trucks too fast and run into the back of them.

Wow. God help those people if there's something stationary in the road instead of just going 10 or 20 mph slower.

I hear that in Europe trucks are limited to 55 or 60 mph while cars go 80 and above.

Thank god.

It's so annoying when it takes three semi trucks over 15 minutes to pass a slower car on a two lane highway. At least now they can do the same speed as we can.

Maybe not. Many company trucks are electronically limited to a certain maximum speed.

[9500ier]

I hear that in Europe trucks are limited to 55 or 60 mph while cars go 80 and above.

In all (or almost all) of the EU trucks are limited to about 55mph. Cars go about 80... and in Germany they go as fast as they want (Spain is almost just as fast but its not really legal there). It works very well there... Most drivers in the US are too retarded/oblivious to handle it though.

[noTe]

Maybe not. Many company trucks are electronically limited to a certain maximum speed.

Um, not semi trucks.

[AirMoore]

Um, not semi trucks.

Maybe I am reading this wrong, but in-fact many semi's are electronically limited...

2 Of my friends are drivers in NY... (PSL 65MPH On the thruway) and all the trucks he drives are limited as such.

Take a look here for a much larger scale example: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/29541734.html

The favorite speeds around here seem to be the aforementioned and 64MPH or 68MPH to limit the trucks.

[supercowpowers]

"Company truck" = one owned by a company that employs drivers and sends them paychecks. That means the company can do whatever it wants with the trucks, including setting the electronic speed limiter. Insurance costs and fuel economy create big savings when speeds are turned down across an entire fleet.

[StlouisX50]

Well I don't like that semis can speed the same as cars. From what I just read, Illinois may take the Truck Speed Limit and just make it into one speed limit. I don't like that either.

If its a passing issue just have a truck lane.

[noTe]

"Company truck" = one owned by a company that employs drivers and sends them paychecks. That means the company can do whatever it wants with the trucks, including setting the electronic speed limiter. Insurance costs and fuel economy create big savings when speeds are turned down across an entire fleet.

Most semi-truck owners are owner-operators which means that the companies do not OWN the trucks.