FMCSA plans to push out velocity limiter mandate proposal in summer time 2023

The Federal Motor Provider Security Administration (FMCSA) has signaled that it’s going to transfer ahead with a controversial rule to require velocity limiting gadgets on industrial automobiles.

FMCSA To Transfer Forward With Velocity Limiters For CMVs

In a federal report lately launched by the U.S. Division of Transportation, the FMCSA has focused June 30, 2023, because the deliberate date to launch a supplemental discover of proposed rulemaking on “Heavy Car Velocity Limiters.”

The FMCSA mentioned that the company plans to proceed with the velocity limiter mandate and can contemplate whether or not further regulatory actions needs to be taken regarding CMV producer necessities.

1000’s of Truckers Oppose Velocity Limiter Plans

Earlier this 12 months, the FMCSA issued Discover of Intent doc asserting plans to suggest that any industrial car with a gross car weight of 26,001 kilos or extra be outfitted with an digital engine management unit (ECU) that shall be able to governing velocity to a restrict that shall be decided in the course of the rulemaking course of.

Following this announcement, the FMCSA accepted public touch upon the velocity limiter rule, garnering greater than 15,600 feedback by the point that the submission window closed.

“This concept is horrible. You all must experience in a truck for every week. You’ll then see the true aspect of vehicles. Simply because it appears good on paper. It doesn’t imply it’s protected. If all vehicles are going the identical velocity. Automobiles will get mad and attempt to get round regardless of the chance they take. It’s a really dangerous concept and can additional cripple the business. So many people will depart the business and park the vehicles. You possibly can’t get the availability chain caught up now. What do you assume will occur with fewer vehicles on the street? Cease making an attempt to manage our each transfer. We aren’t robots,” mentioned commenter John Cochran.

A majority of the obtained feedback got here from truckers, who argued towards velocity limiters by mentioning that they may trigger extra street rage incidents whereas additionally growing the chance of crashes. Others mentioned that trucking is already over-regulated and that the federal authorities’s meddling is having a detrimental impact on the business. Some commenters additionally requested for higher enforcement on passenger car drivers for improved freeway security.

Trucking teams just like the Proprietor-Operator Unbiased Drivers Affiliation (OOIDA) oppose velocity limiters as a result of “research have demonstrated {that a} larger variance of auto speeds in visitors circulate will increase the chance of an accident, and velocity limiters trigger velocity variance.”