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Sen. Schumer has called on the U.S. DOT to finalize a proposed rule that would require electronic speeding devices in large trucks, buses, and school buses over 26,000 pounds.
By Forum Staff
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has reached out to the federal Department of Transportation, urging the agency to quickly adopt a proposed rule that would require electronic speeding devices in large trucks, buses, and school buses over 26,000 pounds.
In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed installing electronic devices that limit large commercial truck speeds on roadways, and requiring the devices to be set to a maximum speed. Schumer said this rule should be finalized as swiftly as possible so that installation of the systems can begin immediately and drivers can be properly trained.
“For every New York City driver or commuter who has been next to or in the crosshairs of a speeding big rig, a technology like this can’t come fast enough,” Schumer said on Sunday. “Trucks and large buses that barrel down our roads unsafely put everyone in danger, but now that we have a sensible technology that can make extreme truck and bus speeds a thing of the past, we must push the feds to accelerate its swift adoption. New York City bridges are just a few of New York’s big rig attraction sites, and so, capping speed in a safe and reasonable way will make everyday drivers safer.”
According to the NHTSA, in 2014 there were 3,903 people killed and 111,000 people injured nationwide in crashes involving large trucks. Of the people killed in large truck crashes, 83 percent were occupants of other vehicles or pedestrians, Schumer noted.
According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, since 2009, there has been a 15 percent increase in fatalities and a 50 percent rise in the number of injuries in large-truck crashes.
And according to the State Department of Motor Vehicles, in 2014, there were 10,742 police-reported large-truck crashes in New York. Of these crashes, 990 were related to unsafe speed, Schumer added.
Approximately 70 percent of trucking companies already use electronic limiters, according to the American Trucking Associations. Schumer said that adopting this proposal could help reduce the more than 1,000 fatalities involving heavy vehicles and speed every year. He also said that while many trucks and large vehicles are operated safely, technology like speed-limiters, when used correctly, can help crack down on the few bad actors who are putting lives in danger.
“While truck speed limiters will not prevent all crashes, they will certainly significantly reduce both the number and severity of these accidents,” Schumer wrote in his letter to FMCSA Administrator T.F. Scott Darling III and NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. “It’s for these reasons that I urge your agencies to move swiftly to finalize this rule.”
Schumer added that the benefits of the proposed rule are two-fold: requiring electronic speeding devices in trucks would not only help save lives and prevent injuries, but also positively impact the environment. According to NHTSA and FMCSA, requiring speed limiting devices could result in fuel savings and greenhouse gas emissions reductions totaling $850 million annually.
