Are Speed Limiters The Key To Preventing Catastrophic Accidents?

Buses and trucks are scary simply because they are so big. It is intimidating to drive or walk near one, even if it is parked. When you are stopped at a red light in heavy traffic, and the vehicle right in front of you is a bus, it is hard to see which of the cars ahead of it has started moving. Reversing a bus, especially on hilly terrain, requires a level of skill on the same level as that of stunt doubles in action movies. Trucks and buses are harder to turn and harder to stop, especially when you consider that the trailer part of a tractor trailer sometimes acts like it has a mind of its own. Now just think about how much destruction a vehicle moving at high speeds can cause, even if the vehicle is small. Now it makes sense why bus accidents and truck accidents are so destructive, why most of the accidents where dozens of people get injured involve these large vehicles. For the past few years, lawmakers have debated, with no consensus, whether installing speed limiters in commercial trucks and buses would prevent catastrophic accidents. If you have been injured in a traffic accident involving a truck or other large vehicle, contact a Columbia truck accident lawyer.

Are Slow Trucks and Buses Safer Than Fast Ones?

Speed limiters are devices that make it impossible for a motor vehicle to accelerate past a certain speed. Some lawmakers have recommended requiring the operators of some commercial trucks, school buses, and public buses to install speed limiters that cap the vehicles’ speeds at 65 miles per hour. They argue that, if the vehicle is consistently traveling at a low or moderate speed, it will be easier for drivers to correct their errors in time to prevent a collision. Furthermore, the sensors on “smart brakes,” which automatically brake when they detect an obstacle, are only effective at speeds up to 62 miles per hour. Thus, initiatives in several major cities have required speed limiters on school buses and city buses.

What Happens When the Law Limits the Speed Capabilities of Large Vehicles?

At times, laws have required commercial trucks to use speed limiters, but as of early 2026, these laws have been repealed. Truck drivers and truck driving industry leaders argued that the speed limiters caused more problems than they solved. If a truck could only go 65 miles per hour, the trip would take longer, leading to a greater risk of distracted driving by drowsy truckers. Without the speed limiters, the drivers could save time by driving at 70 or even 75 miles per hour on stretches of road with high speed limits and low traffic, thereby finishing the trip before they ran out of energy and focus.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get justice after a truck accident that involved high speeds.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

stnonline.com/special-reports/not-so-fast-technology-eyes-speed-reduction-in-school-buses/