Large trucks speeding through the highways and streets of Ohio are a big concern for anyone who shares the road with them. At least one group is working to urge lawmakers to mandate speed-limiters on heavy trucks to help make streets safer.
According to Freight Waves, a coalition led by Road Safe America and the Truck Safety Coalition is using crash statistics to convince lawmakers to pass legislation requiring that all heavy-duty trucks use speed limiters.
“We’re very dissatisfied from what we’ve gotten from DOT [the U.S. Department of Transportation] in the last 12 years, so we’re hoping Congress, or even President Trump himself, will get this thing done,” Road Safe America President Steve Owings told FreightWaves.
Speed limiters are standard in most heavy commercial trucks, but the United States does not require them to be used. Other countries, including Australia, Germany, France and Japan, have laws requiring use of speed limiters.
Travel speed isn’t the only concern with heavy trucks -- it’s the stopping time that poses the biggest threat. A truck traveling 65 mph needs two football field lengths to come to a stop, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Safety tips for sharing Ohio roads with large trucks
The stopping time and distance for a truck or bus is much greater than that of smaller vehicles. Stopping distance increases with a heavy load or in road conditions such as snow, ice or rain. A fully loaded truck traveling in good road conditions at highway speeds needs nearly two football fields to stop. So, never suddenly cut in front of a truck as it reduces the truck's allowable safe stopping distance.
A FMCSA study that found trucks not using their speed limiters had a 200 percent higher highway-speed crash rate compared to trucks using speed limiters.
This Columbus attorney is ready to help truck accident victims
If you were a pedestrian or other road user injured in a crash with a large commercial truck, it’s important that your rights are upheld. For more than three decades, truck accident attorney Scott Elliot Smith has witnessed the devastation caused by negligent truck drivers. He has seen the frustration victims and their families have experienced while dealing with trucking companies and their insurers.
He’ll fight aggressively on behalf of you and your family. To learn more, contact Smith Law Office to schedule your free consultation.
