The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) recommends that all provinces follow Ontario and Quebec’s lead in requiring a truck speed limit of no more than 105 kilometres an hour.
The recommendation comes in a white paper, a report stating the CTA’s position on the transportation of dangerous goods by truck, which was published in response to last summer’s Lac Megantic, Que. accident.
Since the Lac Megantic event, when several rail tank cars carrying crude oil derailed, all modes of transportation of dangerous goods have fallen to scrutiny and the CTA says additional safety precautions should be taken.
After the speed limiter legislation went into effect in Ontario in 2009, the province saw a 24 percent drop in truck related fatalities, making Ontario the safest jurisdiction in North America, according to a Ministry of Transportation 2012 report, Ontario Road Safety Annual Report (ORSAR).
But despite the reported results, only Ontario and Quebec have implemented the legislation, which has not escaped debate or criticism.
Last year, a ruling by Justice of the Peace Brett Kelly called the law unconstitutional. While that ruling could not overturn the law, it did reignite the debate in many social media circles.
In addition to the nation-wide implementation of speed limit for commercial vehicles, the CTA also recommends mandatory entry level training for truck drivers based on a national industry standard.
