TORONTO, Ont. — Ontario Transport Minister Donna Cansfield said the provinces plan to mechanically limit truck speeds to 105 km/h will be brought forward in a timely and effective manner.

She announced the new law on the long weekend, much to the delight of the Ontario Trucking Association, which has spent nearly two years promoting its speed limiter policy. The new law will require all trucks operating in Ontario to activate speed limiters which will not allow them to drive faster than 105 km/h.

“Ontario is a leader in road safety, and this government is always looking for ways to make our highways safer,” Cansfield said. “Ontario is proposing to regulate speed limiters at 105 km/h. Regulating the use of speed limiters for large commercial trucks may help prevent serious collisions.”

The OTA touted environmental benefits as well, claiming 10,500 litres of diesel fuel can be saved for each tractor-trailer.

“This is a great step forward for highway safety and for the environment,” OTA chief David Bradley announced. “Even though truck drivers are on the whole the least likely to be excessively speeding, the means exist through activation of speed limiters to virtually eliminate it and to improve lane discipline at the same time.”

Those who oppose speed limiters have suggested that slight discrepancies in vehicle speeds could create elephant races where trucks will travel side by side for extended periods of time while one tries to pass another. The Owner-Operators Business Association of Canada and its US counterpart, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association are two groups who have publicly opposed the policy. The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada has also refused to endorse the policy, claiming speeding trucks are not a major problem on Ontario highways.

For its part, the OTA hopes Ontario will pave the way for other provinces to follow suit.