Speed limit to be raised for truckers on interstate roads
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU CHIEFCOLUMBUS – A bill raising truck speed limits on interstates to 65 mph sped to the governor’s desk Wednesday despite concerns it might lead to more accidents and fatalities.
The change, which will take effect in three months, was one of numerous provisions tucked into a $9.2 billion, two-year transportation and public safety budget that also imposes a variety of fee hikes on truckers. Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to quickly sign the bill.
Gary Ellerbrock, 59, of Findlay, a commercial trucker for 14 years, isn’t traveling in the same lane as many of his counterparts when it comes to raising the speed limit.
“Most guys want it,” he said. “A lot of them are paid by the mile, but we’re going to see more deaths, more fatal accidents involving trucks. I’d like to see 60 mph for both [trucks and passenger vehicles]. If the limit is 65, they’re going to go 70.”
Higher Truck Speed Limits Part of Transportation Budget
April 3, 2009 by John
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Well….the media just couldn’t wait to start the blood running down the backs of the truckers. OH!! There’s gonna be more deaths and carnage from higher truck speeds. I guess if it bleeds it really does lead. Listen. Ohio State University along with lord knows how many other safety think tanks and so forth have done the math over and over. The one consistent fact that keeps coming up, no matter how they curve the data is that when a tractor trailer truck is involved in an accident with any other type of vehicle, the fault lies in a percentile that approaches 85% with the driver of the other vehicle. What that means is that 8 1/2 of 10 accidents are the fault of someone other than the truck driver. Do I need to say it again???? STOP BLAMING TRUCK DRIVERS FOR THE HORRIFIC ACCIDENTS THAT ARE CAUSED BY AMATEUR DRIVERS!!! Stop lumping in the countless types of trucks with tractor trailer trucks, and start a real safety program that trains everyday drivers on real driving skills and retests them on a regular basis. If the masses had to undergo the rigorous ongoing training and safety programs that real professional drivers do, 2 things would happen. First you would be screaming at the top of your lungs about everything from privacy infringement overly controlling government. The second is…The accident rate would drop and the world would be a very different place.
Well said Mr. Grills. I’ve been truckin’ 29 years, I have been in 4 accidents, all of which were the 4-wheelers fault, two came across lanes to hit me, one turned in front of me, and one was 28 inches on my side of the yellow line when he hit me head-on. Oh, and all these accidents were at speeds of less than 40 mph.
There are a lot of drivers on the road these days (cars and trucks) who could use some remedial training in road safety and common sense driving skills. I read some posts somewhere else about this and people were just slamming the truckers. I wonder who they would hate, if there wasn’t any food at their grocery store tomorrow.
I run across the buckeye to get to pittsburgh from indiana and I am pretty tired by the time I get half way across, raising the speed limit will help prevent that situation for us all.
Truckers already are going 65 when the speed limit is 55. Why would this governor raise the speeds to 75 by passing a 65 mph limit for the trucks. I listen all the time to the truckers try to make it the 4-wheeler’s fault for all the accidents. Strange a lot of the trucks seem to have accidents around Dayton without a 4-wheeler involved. Or maybe a few years back with the high speed truck that didn’t notice the stopped traffic and slammed a pickup truck driver on his way to work in the morning into the semi in front of him. I guess that was the 4-wheeler’s fault for being on the road for the trucker who’d driven longer than he should have by the rules to hit him? Gimme a break. High speeds and heavy loads don’t mix.
Due to comment length, please visit my blog at:
http://truckied.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/55-mph/
Sometimes going a bit faster is the safest thing to do. When trucks have to do 55 in a 70, its all to common for the 4 wheelers to tailgate, zip around the truck, and cut it off. As a professional driver, this is one of the most dangerous situations to be in because your constantly trying to judge what the ignorant 4 wheeler is going to do, and react to it. I don’t think any of them realize that on dry level pavement, it takes a loaded semi traveling at 60mph the length of a football field, plus both end zones to come to a complete stop, yet 90% of them still cut us off. To the average 4 wheeler driver, it seems that trucks traveling their speed limit are an annoying obstical. Comon’ people, start using your brains…. you really want the truck to be an obstical? Going with the flow would be the safest method and sharing the road.