Missouri Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers
Putting the Brakes on Tractor Trailer Speeds
A movement started by the founders of Road Safe America (RSA), Stephen and Susan Owings, calls for the adoption of federal regulation requiring speed limiting governors to be set at or under 68 miles per hour (mph) on tractor trailer rigs. The Owings and RSA believe that setting a cap on a tractor trailer’s maximum speed will have a significant effect in reducing tractor trailer crashes and fatalities. A speed governor is a device that is installed on a vehicle to ensure that the vehicle physically cannot exceed a pre-set speed limit.
Recent statistics show that every year approximately 5,000 people die, and more than 130,000 people are injured, in accidents involving large commercial trucks. After all, when cars and tractor trailers collide in a fatal crash, 98 percent of the fatalities occur in the cars.
The idea of installing speed limiting governors is not new, since tractor-trailer trucks have been equipped with governors since the early 1990’s. However, the creation of a law that would require truck drivers to set them at 68 mph or less has not yet happened in the United States. Currently, several other countries such as Japan, Australia, the European Union, and certain parts of Canada, have laws that require speed limiting governors to be set far below 68 mph on large, heavy trucks. These countries have recognized how fatal accidents can be when a tractor trailer is speeding and have enacted governor laws to help save innocent lives. Today, in the United States, many responsible truck drivers set their governors under 68 mph to ensure they are operating their truck in a safe and prudent manner; however, since this is not legally required many more simply do not.
The drive to petition the Federal Government to change the law and the passion that led to the creation of RSA started after the Owing’s son, Cullum, was killed in a tragic accident with a tractor trailer. In 2002, Cullum stopped his car at an interstate traffic jam and a speeding tractor trailer, whose cruise control had been set 7 mph over the legal speed limit, smashed into the rear of Cullum’s car.
The Owings, and their friends at RSA, are not alone in their desire for a federal law of this nature. Nine major tractor trailer carriers, led by Schneider National, have joined RSA’s campaign and the fight for a federal law requiring governors to be activated at all times. Additionally, all national safety advocacy organizations and the American Trucking Association have supported their cause. It seems most people agree that slower trucks will inevitably help save lives and the best way to slow the trucks down is for a federal governor regulation.
Everyone wins when truck drivers operate their vehicles in a safe and prudent manner. At Page Law, one of the first things we look for when helping a person who has been injured in a trucking accident is whether the truck driver’s speed played a role in causing the collision. If you or anyone you know has been injured in a truck related accident, please call John Page at Page Law for a free consultation.
The call and consultation are always free. I can be reached 24 hours a day on my cell phone at 314.322.8515 or toll free at 1.866.620.5757. Call me personally and I will answer any and all questions or concerns you may have. There is no fee unless you recover for your truck crash injuries.
If you do not want to call or you can't call, you can email me at john@thepagefirm.com. I look forward to speaking with you and helping you through these difficult times.