QUEEN’S PARK, Ont. — The Ontario Trucking Association’s dream of having the speed of every truck that hauls within the province limited to 105 km/h may soon be a reality.

According to Canadian Press, Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield says the Ontario Liberals will legislate a 105 km/h-speed limiter rule for all trucks operating in Ontario after this fall’s provincial election.

In the interview with CP, Cansfield admitted the Ontario Trucking Association played a large role in pressuring the government to adopt the idea, which the association has been trying to export to all jurisdictions in Canada.

It remains unclear, however, just what legislative and administrative processes still have to take place before the proposal becomes law. And while the opposition Tories have in the past endorsed a similar rule in principal, it’s uncertain if a new government would adopt the idea, or whether the plan would even survive a ministerial change at the MTO.

Last year, Bill 115, a Highway Traffic Act amendment introduced by Ontario Conservative environment critic Laurie Scott, passed second reading before stalling at committee.

Cansfield said a speed limiter law would reduce severe accidents involving large commercial trucks in the province.

Critics like Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada director Joanne Ritchie say that the evidence shows that speed limiters increase the number of rear-end collisions involving cars and trucks.

She’s also pointed out that if the government was interested in reducing the speed of trucks — which statistically are the slowest-moving and safest vehicles on the road — then it would step-up enforcement of laws already on the books.

Cansfield said there are currently no plans to issue speed limiters for other motorists even though the majority of vehicle fatalities involve speeding cars, such as a series of incidents involving street racers on Hwy. 400 these last few weeks.

In a press release, OTA said it’s hopeful now that Ontario is officially on board, others will follow and eventually a North American standard can be achieved.

“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,” said OTA President David Bradley.

“The trucking industry is showing real leadership in supporting strong measures to eradicate speeding. Our drivers are professionals and we don’t feel we need to use up scarce police resources catching speeding trucks when most trucks already come equipped with the technology to control speed.”

Bradley also applauded the governmnet for taking the OTA proposal seriously. “Minister Cansfield deserves a lot of credit,” he said. “She has been supportive of our plan all along and has worked hard to hear everyone’s point of view, including the police and even the few groups who indicated they had concerns with or were opposed to what we were trying to accomplish. She always told us to keep the faith.”

— with files from Canadian Press