ATA statement on DRIVE Act introduction

Today, the American Trucking Associations issued the following statement on the Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-Wheelers, or DRIVE Act:

“The easiest position anyone in Washington can take is ‘No.’ It requires little effort, zero facts and an unwillingness to compromise. ATA isn’t the association of ‘No.’ We put safety first. We deploy the best technology to help save lives. In short, we care about the motoring public, and we feel our position on a speed limiter rule is based on data, not baseless rhetoric,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Driving as fast as you can as long as you like kicks safety to the curb. It’s irresponsible. Safety is a winning issue and ATA enjoys winning. This issue is no exception.”

ATA policy on speed limiters supports electronically governing “Class 7 and 8 trucks manufactured after 1992 used in commerce should be governed by tamperproof devices either limiting the vehicle to a fixed maximum of 65 mph; or limiting the vehicle to 70 mph with the use of adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. The Department of Transportation should conduct a recurring five-year review of speed governing regulations to ensure that the regulations are appropriate and consistent with currently deployed technologies.”

“Everyone knows excessive speed kills, and ATA policies support technology to address this irrefutable fact of physics. It is vital that any regulation get the details right, and the technologies are changing every year,” said ATA Executive Vice President of Advocacy Bill Sullivan. “These efforts to prohibit the development of safety policies are misguided, they will lead to more serious crashes, and this bill will never become law, even if it passes the House.”