Feds propose capping speed limit for trucks and buses
Federal regulators are seeking to impose a speed limit on trucks, buses and other large vehicles traveling on roadways in Georgia and across the U.S. A new proposal issued on Aug. 26 would electronically cap the speeds of newly manufactured U.S. vehicles that weigh over 26,000 pounds. Possible maximum speed limits being considered include 60, 65 and 68 miles per hour.
The proposal was put forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It is subject to 60 days of public comment before it becomes final. According to the agencies, a speed cap will reduce the 1,115 fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles that occur in the U.S. each year. It could also save an estimated $1 billion in fuel costs annually.
The proposal was first introduced in 2006 by the nonprofit group Roadsafe America. The group was founded by the parents of an Atlanta college student who was killed by a speeding tractor-trailer in 2002. The proposal later earned the backing of the American Trucking Association, the biggest trucking group in the U.S. While safety advocates praise the proposed speed cap, some truckers fear it will lead to dangerous situations caused by not having the ability to accelerate past a certain speed.
A Georgia resident who has been injured in a truck accident may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible truck driver. A successful lawsuit could bring an injured victim needed financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages. If a victim is killed in a truck accident, their next of kin could pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Source: CBS Boston, “US Wants To Force Lower Speeds On Truck And Bus Drivers,” Aug. 26, 2016