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Crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that 4,761 people died in truck crashes on our highways in 2017. This is a 41 percent increase from an all-time low in 2009.

On October 24, 2018, Road Safe America released the results of a McLaughlin & Associates survey of U.S. voters. The survey overwhelmingly showed that voters are in favor of all large trucks being equipped with mandatory speed limiters and automatic emergency braking technology.

• 79 percent of voters favor speed limiters set at a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour for large trucks; 45 percent of voters strongly favor it and only 13 percent oppose it.
• 82 percent of voters favor automatic emergency braking on large trucks; 50 percent strongly favor it and only 9 percent oppose it.

Steve Owings, co-founder of Road Safe America, said, “Americans overwhelmingly support these common-sense and data-driven truck safety technology measures to save lives and prevent injuries. If use of speed limiters and automatic emergency brakes (AEB) had been required in 2002, my son Cullum, who was killed by a speeding truck driver, might be alive today. We call on Congress to support the vast majority of Americans and act now to require the use of lifesaving, truck safety technologies.”

Speed limiters and AEBs have been around for decades. Some trucking companies voluntarily use speed limiters as a way of reducing fuel costs. However, speed limiters and AEBs are not required in the United States.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concluded that large trucks not using their built-in speed governors were involved in high-speed collisions at twice the rate of trucks that were using them.  

NHTSA estimates that the current AEB systems available can prevent more than 2,500 crashes each year.

Freight Waves reported in January 2019 that the initiative to require speed limiters and AEB systems has failed during the last two presidential administrations. Safety lobbyists are bypassing regulators and taking their case to the new Congress instead. The coalition of Road Safe America and the Truck Safety Coalition is building an economic business case to try to convince lawmakers to pass the legislation to require all heavy-duty trucks to use speed limiters and AEB systems.

“We’re very dissatisfied from what we’ve gotten from DOT (the U.S. Department of Transportation) in the last 12 years, so we’re hoping Congress, or even President Trump himself, will get this thing done,” Road Safe America President Steve Owings told Freight Waves.

Fort Myers Truck Accident Attorney Randall Spivey said, “The increase in the number of deaths due to preventable truck crashes is unacceptable. Should you or a loved one be injured in an accident, please contact our experienced legal team. We are available to assist you 24/7, and there are no costs or attorney fees unless we make a monetary recovery for you.”

Fort Myers Truck Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.774