Comment Period on Proposed Speed-Limiter Rule Extended to Dec. 7
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have extended the deadline for public comments on their proposed speed-limiter rule by 30 days to Dec. 7, the agencies announced Nov. 1.
The proposed rule would require all newly manufactured U.S. trucks, buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating more than 26,000 pounds to be equipped with speed-limiting devices.
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According to FMCSA, requiring speed limiters on large commercial vehicles could save lives, as well as an estimated $1 billion in fuel costs annually.
American Trucking Associations, along with 50 state trucking associations, had asked for a 30-day extension in a Sept. 9 letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
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“In the nearly 10 years since ATA concurrently petitioned NHTSA and FMCSA for action on this important issue, much has changed in vehicle and motor carrier safety,” ATA President Chris Spear wrote in the letter, citing advances in technology, stricter regulatory oversight and increases in speed limits at the state level.
“These developments, along with new state laws and speed limits, have changed the way motor carriers view and respond to safety concerns. In addition, the proposed rule’s dramatic departure from ATA’s initial petition in terms of tamper-proofing, the lack of a retrofit requirement, and the agencies’ reluctance to specify a governed speed requires additional time for ATA and its federation partners to re-engage its membership on these important issues,” Spear added.
