TORONTO — The ongoing heated debate of whether speed on all trucks in Ontario should be limited to 105 km/h has moved beyond the halls of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and into the Legislature.

The Ontario Trucking Association has successfully exported its effort to enact speed limiters on all provincial commercial vehicles to the backbenches at Queen’s Park. Progressive Conservative environment critic MPP Laurie Scott’s (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock) private member’s bill mirroring the OTA’s proposal was backed by members of all three parties and given approval in principle (by a margin of 27- 6) yesterday when it passed second reading in the Legislature.

The bill will now be referred to the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs for further analysis before going to third reading, where if it passes, it would become law.

Now approaching third reading in Ontario legislature, the
mandatory speed limiter plan is a closer to reality

It was believed that last month’s cabinet shuffle might have bogged down the proposal while new Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield was briefed. However, much to the OTA’s satisfaction, a legislative approach seems to have expedited the process without a final assessment to this point from MTO.

The OTA has been pushing for legislation that would make it mandatory for fleets and owner-operators to limit their speed at 105 km/h through the engine’s ECM. The trucking group says the technology would conserve fuel, lower emissions, and reduce the severity of car-truck crashes on the highway.

Unanimously flanked by all other provincial trucking associations in Canada, the OTA has taken the speed limiter campaign national under the banner of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, which would eventually lobby for adoption of limiters in the U.S. too.

Also in support are Pollution Probe, CAA Ontario, the OPP, the Canada Safety Council, Traffic Injury Research Foundation, RoadWatch, and Markel Insurance. The Canadian Transportation Equipment Association, which represents truck component manufacturers, has thrown in its support as well.

Meanwhile, the American Trucking Associations seconds the speed limiter plan — at least in spirit. The powerful group endorses “a move to limit the maximum speed of large trucks, at the time of manufacture, to no more than 68 mph,” but is not seeking a legislative mandate.

Standing in fierce opposition to the bill is the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC), which is joined by its American counterpart, the 130,000 trucker-strong Owner-Operator and Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). Thousands of other independent truckers, concerned they’ll lose the ability to speed up slightly for a specific application, also disapprove.

It’s not that o-o’s want to run fast, but there’s times on a
run where an extra few klicks are essential, they say

Owner-ops aren’t the only ones in the con-camp, however. The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, which represents the nation’s non for-hire fleets, also passed on the proposal.

“What we believe is lacking in the proposal, is any definitive proof that truck speeding is a major issue in Ontario,” PMTC president Bruce Richards wrote in a newsletter to members. “In fact, in the OTA’s own words ‘trucks are the least likely vehicles to be speeding on Ontario’s highways.'”

That’s also what OBAC and OOIDA have been countering with. OBAC Executive Director Joanne Ritchie isn’t advocating speeding trucks — in fact she wants stepped up road enforcement and more severe penalties, including mandatory retesting, for drivers with questionable records.

Both groups offered academic evidence to MTO showing the rate of accidents increase when the speed gap between cars and trucks widens because of faster-moving cars striking trucks from the rear.

“The reality, according to a study released in November 2005 by the University of Arkansas, is that the public perception of the risk of being rear-ended by a truck is just that: perception,” Ritchie says. “That study shows that the relative frequency of trucks passing cars is very low, which is counter to the publics’ perception that trucks frequently pass cars.”

But OTA believes generally the public wants speed limiters to happen and cites the backing from all three Ontario parties and proof of broad non-partisan support.

“Laurie Scott deserves credit for showing real leadership in bringing this bill forward,” said OTA President David Bradley in a press release. “It’s not always easy to stand up and fight for the right thing, especially when there is some vocal opposition.”