Good or Bad? Ontario’s Speed-limiter Law
by They’ve changed the rules again! Now heavy trucks must install a tamper proof speed-limiter allowing for a maximum speed od 105 kilometres per hour. With a maximum speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour on the highway how are they supposed to pass slower trucks??
Heavy trucks in Ontario must now have speed limiters installed and working or face charges under the Highway Traffic Act. This applies to trucks 1995 and newer. The limiter must be set for a maximum speed of 105 km/h. The logic behind this is “speed kills”. Yes, we all agree on that.
Have you ever been following two trucks going down the 401 when one truck tries to pass the other? The heavier truck goes slower going up hill but faster going down hill. The truck trying to pass can’t seem get far enough ahead to pull back in safely. Your stuck behind them getting more frustrated. If the truck trying to pass is limited to 105 km/h how are they supposed to safely pass the slower truck? Without causing traffic problems? Without causing frustration on the part of other motorists?
The vast majority of truckers are paid by the kilometre. They’ve just had their wages lowered by the government without any input. Is this fair??
Newer trucks tend to be in better shape than older trucks, same as with other vehicles. Why exempt older trucks?? If I were an owner/operator I would be buying a truck old enough to be exempt from this law. Wouldn’t you? Especially when it means possibly earning more money.
Our highways on not flat stretches of road the whole way. We have hills, some of them steep, the slow heavy and fully loaded trucks down. The government realizes this because they have signs posted on the 401 stating “slow trucks use 4 ways”. If the truck can’t speed up to make it up the doing a reasonable speed because they are limited to 105 km/h is that safe? How many vehicles are going to have to change lanes to pass the now much slower trucks? How many of these drivers are going to be frustrated? How many of these frustrated drivers are going to end up cutting someone off changing lanes? How many accidents will this cause? Did the government take any of this into account when they deliberated and passed this law?
If speed kills, why only newer trucks? Why not all trucks? Why not every vehicle on the road in Ontario? If the government limited the speed of all vehicles to a maximum of 105 km/h how much money would we save on policing and aircraft speed enforcement? Do you really want to live in a province like that?
Is this recent law change good or bad? Call your local MPP and give get your 2 cents worth.
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