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Study * Canada - Shows pros and cons of speed limiters
The study shows benefits of speed limiters but also highlights problems with government mandates
Ottawa,ONT,Canada -Land Line Magazine (USA), by David Tanner -July 10, 2008: -- Transport Canada has completed its highly anticipated study on speed limiters. In simple terms, the study acknowledges some of the safety and environmental benefits promoted by large motor carrier associations, but it also acknowledges many of the problems that owner-operator groups have brought to the discussion... Both sides of the speed limiter debate are likely to use the study to bolster their respective arguments...* Safety issues: Researchers on safety said speed limiters would make highways safer, particularly when the roads are not congested. Add congestion to the mix, and the numbers change... The researchers said passing on rural highways could also be a safety issue when it involves speed-limited trucks...
* Trade and competitiveness: Government-mandated speed limiters in Ontario could keep American owner-operators out and could hinder the right of Canadian truckers to do business in and out of the province, researchers said in the trade section of the study... The situation could be remedied, researchers said, if truckers purchased equipment that allowed them to change their speed-limiter settings upon entering or exiting a particular jurisdiction... O’Neill says the investment in such technology could be cost-prohibitive to many owner-operators...
* Technical considerations: Truck Manufacturers Association President Bob Clarke contributed to the study by answering technical questions from researchers that included cost of equipment to set and check speed limiters from the cab...
* Environmental benefits: Researchers said in the report that speed-limited trucks would save 228 million liters of fuel per year, or approximately 60.4 million gallons. They also concluded that greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 0.64 metric megatons or approximately 705,472 tons.
* Speed limiter case study: Transport Canada conducted a case study that showed speed limiters are a way of life for many large fleets. From the standpoint of the large fleets surveyed, speed limiters have significant benefits for industry, for government and the general public.
* Speed limiters around the world: Researchers acknowledge that 33 countries have government-mandated speed limiters including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia. The steering committee for the study directed researchers to relate those speed-limiter experiences to Canada... The United Kingdom has reported fuel savings in speed-limited vehicles as well as reduced insurance premiums, but road-safety concerns also surfaced – including passing, traffic backlog and convoys of trucks blocking the on and off-ramps on highways. There were also issues with compliance and enforcement, including tampering and problems with testing equipment...
OOIDA officials plan to challenge Bill 41 in Ontario – which included the speed limiter mandate – on grounds that it violates trade laws and discriminates against truck drivers in Canada and the U.S...
Labels: speed limiters
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