The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have proposed to equip heavy-duty vehicles on the US roadways with speed limiting devices.

Announced by US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the proposal’s objective is to ensure the safety of lives on the highways. These devices could also help in saving fuel worth approximately $1bn each year.

Foxx said: “There are significant safety benefits to this proposed rulemaking.

"Safe trucking moves our economy and safe bus operations transport our loved ones." 

"In addition to saving lives, the projected fuel and emissions savings make this proposal a win for safety, energy conservation, and our environment.”

The DoT’s proposal would establish safety standards requiring all vehicles manufactured in US such as trucks and buses, with a gross vehicle weight rating more than 26,000lb, to come equipped with speed limiting devices.

NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said: “This is basic physics.

"Even small increases in speed have large effects on the force of impact.

"Setting the speed limit on heavy vehicles makes sense for safety and the environment.”

Under the proposal, motor carriers operating commercial vehicles would be responsible for maintaining the speed limiting devices at or below the designated speed for the service life of the vehicle.

The maximum travel speed is yet to be determined in the final rule, but estimates included in the proposal demonstrate that limiting heavy vehicles will save lives.

FMCSA administrator Scott Darling said: “Safe trucking moves our economy and safe bus operations transport our loved ones.

“This proposal will save lives while ensuring that our nation’s fleet of large commercial vehicles operates efficiently.”