Trucking Industry Urges Uniform Speed Limit for Truckers in US and Canada

As an attorney representing people catastrophically injured in trucking accidents in Atlanta, Georgia, I see speed as a safety problem as well as fatigue, illness, medication and equipment deficiencies.

The  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is studying a proposal for a uniform nationwide speed limit for interstate motor carriers. If adopted, it may help hold down the top speeds, but will not alone deal with speeds that are too fast for traffic and weather conditions.

State legislation introduced in the New Jersey Assembly would set a statewide 68 MPH speed limit for all trucks operating in that state. As written, the bill would require the retrofitting of any truck, regardless of its age, with devices to insure compliance with the state speed limit.  In Canada, proposed legislation in Ontario would require speed limiters on all trucks operating in that province.

The U.S.-based Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) has taken a position opposing both the New Jersey and Ontario proposals, urging instead that state and provincial governments await adoption of a uniform requirements for truckers operating throughout the US and Canada.

The Shigley Law Firm  represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases arising from motor carrier accidents statewide in Georgia.  Recently elected Secretary of the State Bar of Georgia, Ken Shigley has been designated as a “SuperLawyer” in Atlanta Magazine and one of the “Legal Elite” in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and former chair of both the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He focuses on cases arising from truck wrecks and accidents (tractor trailers truck wrecks, bus wrecks, semi truck wrecks,18 wheeler truck wrecks, big rig truck wrecks, log truck wrecks, dump truck wrecks.