Feds ice speeding rule to prevent 18-wheeler crashes

Legal experts say that the new government administration’s decrees under President Trump could lead to fewer rules for speed limiters in big-rig trucks. Proposed rules require speed limiters on certain types of trucks, and these limiters have proven useful in preventing deadly 18-wheeler crashes. One of the White House’s first actions in 2017 was to bar federal agencies from enacting new regulations. The speed-limiting issue was first proposed in September. Other rules for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have also been halted, with regulations governing national driver training standards now being delayed.

Although the speed-limiter rule had been heavily criticized by industry groups, it likely would have gone through revisions before being actually implemented, according to officials. The Department of Transportation had been working with the American Trucking Associations to develop and implement the rule, ostensibly designed to protect private drivers from speeding big-rig operators. Now, it appears that the rule could be dead altogether.

Private drivers should be concerned about the potential for reduced regulation in the trucking industry, particularly with regard to safety. An inattentive truck driver or one who is speeding can cause significant damage, largely because 18-wheelers are so much bigger than the average vehicle. Rules already exist to prevent these drivers from getting behind the wheel while drunk, distracted or tired, but speeding is an issue that has not been addressed in depth in federal trucking regulations.

Victims who have been injured in big-rig trucking accidents deserve financial compensation for their injuries, lost wages and other civil claims. A speeding truck driver can change a life forever. Victims should be properly compensated for the physical and financial consequences caused by this type of truck accident.

Source: Overdrive Online, “Trump’s halt on regulations the ‘death knell’ for truck speed limiter rule,” James Jaillet, Feb. 01, 2017