Speed limits must be enforced whatever they are, says OTA

OTA says that whether the maximum speed limit for trucks in Ontario is 100 km per hour or 90 km per hour is not the key issue. Instead, David Bradley, OTA president, says that "enforcement of the posted speed laws, whatever they are, is what’s essential."

Even though the evidence is that truckers are less likely to be speeding than cars, Bradley says that "speeding and tailgating by trucks really gets under the skin of the OTA members. Not only is it a major safety concern, but it creates just plain bad public relations."

Moreover, he says that OTA wishes the OPP and MTO would put as much emphasis on speeding by trucks and cars as they are on truck inspections." Bradley says that police officers have told OTA that they have great difficulty enforcing the speed limits for trucks. In addition, OTA urged the provincial government not to abandon photo radar, even if it meant only using the technology to enforce truck speeds. (The association has its own Road Safety Patrol of industry observers who regularly report speeding violations to OTA for follow-up with the companies involved.)

According to Bradley, more and more trucking companies are using electronically controlled engines and on-board computer systems to monitor and control the speeds at which their trucks can operate. "To maximize fuel efficiency, smart carriers are governing their vehicles’ maximum speeds at 90 km to 100 km per hour already, so if the Minister of Transportation were to make the change, most people in the industry would be in favour. In fact, there have been times in the past when OTA actually advocated a reduction in the maximum speed limit for trucks, but we were told by MTO that creating a speed differential between trucks and cars simply creates another safety problem."

Bradley says that before making a change to lower truck speeds, the government must ensure that strong enforcement measures are in place and provide whatever new analysis they have dispelling the transportation ministry’s previous position with respect to speed differentials.