Ontario’s history with truck speed limiters is full of controversy. A law requiring speed limiters on all large trucks came into effect in 2009, and required that trucks reduce their maximum speed to 105 km/h. In 2012, that law was ruled unconstitutional by an Ontario judge. It was reinstated in 2014 after the Ontario Court of Justice ruled that the judge had erred in his decision.
In large part, the back and forth on this issue was caused by the fact that speed limiters offer both pros and cons to public safety and the economy. Want to get a fuller picture? Here are a few of the points offered up on both sides of the debate.
Students in Dispatcher Training: Stats Suggest that Speed Limiters Save Lives
Large trucks represent a huge amount of weight in a single vehicle. Crash that weight into another vehicle or a sturdy, stationary object at high speeds and the results can be devastating.
Statistics suggest that speed limiters have the effect of reducing the dangerousness of large-truck collisions. In an interview with the CBC, a Ministry of Transportation official stated that there had been a 35 per cent reduction in fatalities caused by large truck collisions between 2003 and 2012, which he attributed in part to speed limiters. Though some truck drivers argue that being able to drive at higher speeds can help prevent accidents in the first place, the downward trend of fatalities caused by trucks means the law is unlikely to go anywhere.
Fines for disobeying the law can go over $1,000, so if you complete dispatcher training and work with a team of truck drivers, be sure that they understand the financial importance of obeying the law and having their limiters set correctly.
Unfortunately, Speed Limiters Can Hurt Smaller Trucking Businesses
If you take on a career in truck dispatching after dispatch school in Cambridge, odds are good that you will need to account for speed limiting when organizing your drivers and routes. One of the downsides of imposing speed limiters on trucks is that it can lead to longer transits and more expensive operating costs for fleet owners. In the US, where speed limiter legislation has been in talks for months, regulatory agencies stated that extending driver hours and hiring more truckers to deal with this reality could be harmful to smaller trucking businesses.
Students in Dispatcher Training Might Know That There Are Fuel Efficiency Benefits to Limited Speed
Despite the potential for higher operating costs, speed limiters do also offer economic benefits to drivers and fleet owners. Travelling at higher speeds reduces the fuel efficiency of large trucks. By limiting their speed, it’s possible to make trucks consume less fuel for the same distance travelled.
According to The Canada Safety Council, speed limiting can save about 10,500 litres of fuel per truck, per year—about 50 million litres for all trucks in Ontario combined. This can result in savings of thousands of dollars per truck, per year. Especially for companies operating many trucks, the overall effect of these savings can be substantial.
With gas prices fluctuating greatly over the course of the average year, being able to lower the amount of fuel required by a vehicle can be a great benefit for professionals in automotive careers. If you end up working in a career in the trucking industry, you may find that speed limiters make life a good deal easier.
Speed limiters are controversial. They offer potential benefits for safety and fuel efficiency, but can make it a bit more expensive for smaller trucking companies to operate. Training for automotive careers will help you take advantage of the good, and deal with the bad, elements of this sort of technology.
Do you want to pursue careers in the auto industry?
Visit Automotive Training Centres for more information, or to speak with an advisor!