The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has endorsed a move to limit the maximum speed of large trucks, at the time of manufacture, to no more than 68 miles per hour. The group took the action at its annual Winter Leadership meeting in Tampa FL.
This aggressive safety action by the ATA is aimed at reducing the number and severity of speed-related crashes among all vehicles on United States highways. It is part of a trucking industry highway safety initiative that has produced a record low large-truck fatality rate. Other ATA safety initiatives include a call for universal primary safety belt laws in the 50 states and the enforcement of traffic laws against unsafe driving actions around large trucks.
The maximum governed speed effort follows a study of the issue by ATA motor carriers and truck safety experts. The speed management working group found that nearly 75% of trucks evaluated in the study already had speed governors and that most were set at 70 mph or lower.
“There has been a growing sense within the trucking industry for the need to slow down the large truck population as well as all traffic,” said Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer. “With speeding as a factor in one third of all fatal highway crashes, it makes all the sense in the world to work to reduce this number.”