After 15 months in review, the Heavy Vehicle Speed Limiters Proposed Rule has cleared the White House Office of Management and Budget, meaning it is available to be published in a matter of days and a public comment period will be begin.
The rulemaking, which originated nearly 10 years ago with petitions from Road Safe America and the American Trucking Assns., was officially initiated in May 2013 and was originally scheduled to be published in March 2014.
This past March, responding to a Senate budget panel who wanted to know why a proposal that is supported by both a trucking industry association and highway safety groups was so slow in coming, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx testified that he expected the proposal to be published “within the next month, or so,” calling it “a top priority.”
OMB approved the proposed rule as “consistent with change,” indicating the mandate meets federal regulatory guidelines, although it has been altered during the review period. OMB may also approve a rule without change or return it for revision by the submitting agency.
Still unknown by the public is the speed at which the limiters would be set under the proposal. ATA has asked for a 65 mph limit.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. (OOIDA), however, opposes such a rule, calling it “politically motivated” and contending there is “a lack of solid science” to back up such a mandate and that speed-limited trucks “would make highways less safe.”
More to come.
