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Frequently Asked Questions On the CTA Proposal for Mandatory Activation of Truck Speed Limiters
A: A speed limiter is a built-in electronic microchip that allows an engine’s top speed to be preset. A: It should be a mandatory requirement that speed limiters be activated on all prescribed trucks operating into, out of, and within Canada. Q: What is the maximum speed CTA believes truck speed limiters should be set at? A: Speed limiters for trucks should be set at NO MORE THAN 105 KM/H (65 mph). A: All laws are put in place to control the behaviour of the minority who, for whatever reason, refuse to act in a responsible manner. The same is true for this law -- despite the economic benefits of reducing fuel consumption and costs, not to mention the obvious safety and environmental benefits, a minority of trucks continue to speed and this law is required to slow them down. Q: Why is CTA calling for a maximum speed that is somewhat higher than the allowable maximum speed limit on some highways? A: The law pertaining to the maximum allowable speed limit will not change. CTA is proposing that speed limiters be set at NO MORE THAN 105 km/h because: (1) the reality is that at a max. of 105 km/h the cruise speed for most trucks will be set at no more than 100 km/h, but a cushion of up to 5 km/h will be allowed on the “pedal” speed to enable trucks to pass slower moving vehicles (avoiding long periods where trucks operate side-by-side called “elephant races”) and to make other precautionary manoeuvres as required. CTA has attempted to find the right balance between the effective speed on our highways (which we all understand is more like 120 km/h) and a responsible speed cap for trucks. Also, because the trucking industry crosses borders it must be kept in mind there are many jurisdictions which have speed limits in excess of 100 km/h. A 105 km/h cap will enable Canadian trucks to operate and compete in those jurisdictions with higher speed limits. Several maximum governed speeds were reviewed before choosing 105 km/h. Extensive consultation was conducted with many stakeholder groups including: truck drivers, truck fleet owners, road safety experts, law enforcement, engine and truck manufacturers, and the insurance industry. A: Yes. The proposal has received endorsement for its policy from groups like the Canadian Automobile Association, the Canada Safety Council, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, RoadWatch, and SMARTRISK. A: Trucks are the least likely vehicles to be speeding on Canadian highways. In fact, the safety performance of trucks and truck drivers is superior to that of cars and motorists. And, while truck safety in the province has been improving, the Canadian Trucking Alliance wants to make it even better. Prevention is the best way to avoid collisions happening at all. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle and increases the distance that a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation. US research shows that the speed of trucks plays a role in the severity of accidents and the incidence of fatalities in accidents involving large trucks. Because kinetic energy is determined by the square of a vehicle’s speed, the probability of injury, and the severity of injuries that occur in a crash, increases exponentially with vehicle speed. For example, the kinetic energy at 120 km/h is 30% greater than at 105 km/h. A: The major concern of motorists is the possibility that a truck will rear-end them. Evidence from the US indicates that in states where there is a differential speed limit there are about 36% fewer truck-to-car rear-end collisions and 29% fewer side swipe collisions (as compared to states where there is a uniform speed limit). Evidence also suggests that rear-end collisions appear more prevalent (39% of all collisions involving trucks) where the truck was speeding, than when cars were speeding (34% of collisions involving cars). For cars traveling at 120 or 125 km/h there is no appreciable increase in the risk of rear-end collisions. For excessive speeders there may be an increased risk, but the reality is that at 130 or 140 km/h (or higher) almost everything poses an increased risk for speeding drivers. They are at increased risk of rear-end collision with a truck traveling up to 105 km/h just as they are at increased risk of losing control, of hitting another car, or of being unable to react to any other circumstance on the road. The fact is, speed kills, whether you are a truck driver or car driver, and the problem is not the truck doing up to 105 km/h, it is the reckless car driver driving at excessive speed. Furthermore, whatever increased risk of rear-end collisions may occur is more than offset by the reduction in both frequency and severity of other kinds of collisions involving cars and trucks that are currently caused by speeding. Just as there were those who opposed mandatory seat belt use based on the argument that seat belt use increases your risk of being trapped in a burning car or a car which fell into water if the seat belt jams, the minimal risk of such incidents, like rear-end collisions, is more than offset by the overall safety gains. Fuel Efficiency/Environmental Issues A: Tests have shown that a 4-to-5 km/h speed decrease could result in a 4-to-5% savings in fuel costs. Fuel savings of as much as 10,500 litres of diesel fuel consumed per year by a typical tractor-trailer unit (running approx. average 125,000 km per year) which formerly had no speed limiter are forecast. It is estimated that this could translate into 50 million litres of fuel saved in total. At current diesel prices, this would equal an annual savings of about $8,400 per truck. A: It is estimated that with a mandatory speed limit of 105 km/h on trucks, Canada would see a reduction of as much as 350 kilotonnes of GHG emissions per year. A: Yes. Pollution Probe endorses the proposal (so does the Lung Association). Other Motorists A: IntelliPulse, an independent third party public affairs firm was hired to conduct a public opinion poll to determine the current perception of a variety of road safety issues related to trucking. From the poll it was learned that the majority of respondents (71 %) endorse the proposal to mandate the activation of speed limiters on all trucks at a maximum speed of nor more than 105 km/h. The poll also found that 79 % of respondents believe mandatory speed limiters would improve public safety. A: CTA supports new measures to reduce speeding by cars and better educate car drivers on how to safely share the road with trucks. Just as with commercial vehicles, the key to improving the safety of our highways is increased enforcement of the laws and better training, testing and licencing of drivers. A: In developing this policy recommendation carriers, drivers, owner-operators, truck and engine manufacturers, insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, safety associations and other stakeholders were consulted. A: No. Many carriers already govern their fleets at or below 105 km/h and their drivers are paid no differently than those that don’t. Most truck drivers are already driving at a maximum speed close to 105 km/h. It is not reasonable to suggest that in order to make money a driver has to operate at excessive or unsafe speeds. A driver’s take home pay will not be impacted by mandating a maximum travel speed of 105 km/h. A: No. Owner-operators who understand the fuel efficiency implications already drive at a maximum speed close 105 km/h. It is not reasonable to suggest that in order to make money an owner-operator has to operate at excessive or unsafe speeds. The reality is, owner-operators who speed are reducing their profits by increasing their fuel costs. A: Removing the pressure to speed from a driver’s daily routine would actually reduce overall the stress levels which contribute to fatigue. A: All new truck drivers should receive training with regard to the benefits of enhanced speed control and lane discipline. A: The effect on trip times will be marginal and manageable. Some fleets will experience no change as they already govern their trucks at a speed at or even below 105 km/h. Trucks that move to a 105 km/h maximum travel speed from a previous maximum of 110 km/h can expect a minor impact on trip time, and those trucks that are not limited can expect more of an impact. Some carriers, drivers and shippers will need to better manage their delivery schedules, but this is a good thing.
Ontario Application A: The law would be applicable to both straight trucks and tractor-trailer combinations built after 1995 with a manufacturer’s rating or a registered GVW >11,000 kg. A: All prescribed vehicles manufactured after 1995 would have to comply by having speed limiters activated or reset to no more than 105 km/h. All new trucks would come from the manufacturer with the speed limiters set at no more than 105 km/h. A: Dealers, repair shops and carriers would have the ability to adjust the maximum speed limit setting on a truck so long as it is no more than 105 km/h but it would be a legal requirement for engine manufacturers to “hard code” the maximum speed setting on all trucks so that no person would be able to set an upper limit on speed that exceeds 105 km/h. A: Unfortunately it is not technologically practical at this time to have the engine set with a variety of speeds which would kick in depending on what road the truck is on. This technology, like all technologies, is not a panacea and it has its practical limits. We can therefore only deal with the highest speed limit highways. Normal police enforcement will have to be relied upon on other roads. A: North American jurisdictions already have a variety of laws governing the operation of commercial vehicles and truck drivers are expected to comply with the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are driving. For example, any Canadian truck driver who drives in the US is required to follow US law on drug testing, even though no similar law exists in Canada. We must follow their laws in their jurisdiction; and they must follow our laws in our jurisdiction. In the long term we hope that all North American jurisdictions will follow Canada’s lead and institute similar laws.
A: It would be an offence for the prescribed trucks to have a speed limiter set above 105 km/h. Penalties for non-compliance would include fines, suspensions and revocation of repair shop licences. These penalties would be imposed on the person or persons who tamper with, de-activate or set at a maximum speed above 105 km/h. Engine manufacturers would be compelled to provide the information to enforcement officials in order to make this determination, regardless of where the tampering occurred. A finding that a speed limiter on a truck has been tampered with could be made by enforcement officers equipped with hand-held PDAs that allow them to read where the speed limiter on a truck is set from the engine’s ECM, while blocking the downloading of other information. A: On-road speed enforcement by police officers would still be required to ensure compliance: (1) on roads and highways where the maximum posted speed is less than 100 km/h; (2) on highways where the maximum posted speed is 100 km/h or more, but a truck is still for whatever reason operating at excessive speed; and (3) with speed limits by cars. In (1) and (2) the driver should be charged and the violation should appear exclusively on the driver’s abstract. Since there will be fewer speeding trucks as a result of the mandatory activation of speed limiters, any truck exceeding the maximum prescribed speed limit should clearly stand out, and it will therefore be expected that on-highway police agencies will enforce the law in those remaining situations. Similarly, it is further anticipated that lane discipline by trucks will improve as a by-product of the mandatory activation of speed limiters, again increasing the expectation that police services will be better able to deal with the remaining transgressions of the laws pertaining to lane discipline. A: This IS stepped up on-highway enforcement -- it is using the technology that exists in today’s trucks to assist the police in controlling speeding. We have to stop thinking of increased enforcement as only “more cops.” The reality is that the provincial police and other police forces do the best they can, but there are too many kilometres of highway and there will always be too few police. By mandating this modern technology we help the police do their jobs more efficiently and allow them to focus on other problems. Equipment/Operational Issues A: No. Setting a maximum speed for a truck is a relatively simple programming change that can be performed in a matter of minutes at minimal cost. In many ways it is no more complicated that changing the password on your PC. A: No. Traffic congestion is the result of traffic volume -- not vehicle speed. A: Any technology can be tampered with. Speed limiters can be tampered with, but it would be very hard to get away with. CTA’s policy includes an enforcement and compliance strategy. If every other truck is staying at or under 105 km/h a cheater is going to be pretty obvious speeding past the other trucks. That’s why speeders should be easy for the police to spot and deal with. Plus, on-road inspectors can very easily check if a vehicle has been properly governed using a hand-held PDA. A: Well, that may seem to be the case but tests have shown that the amount of fuel used to increase the speed equals or exceeds the amount of fuel lost by downshifting. Fuel is not saved by “getting a run at a hill” unless the increase in speed is achieved by running downhill. A: This is almost never the case. Most trucks are spec’d to run efficiently in the 105 km/h speed range. Trucks that are not speed limited almost always run with the engine operating above optimum rpm for fuel economy. A: Speed limiters do not limit the speed of a truck going downhill at the present time. However, the truck may have gear engine brakes that are programmed to activate at certain speeds to limit road speed. Q: How would this speed restriction policy affect my ability to operate in hilly/mountainous terrain? A: There should be no effect, since the truck will be operated in lower gears anyway. A: Neither startability nor gradeability is affected.
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2006-03-02
Canadian Trucking Alliance Wants to Put the Brakes on Speeding Trucks |
