A recent study conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) found that speed-related, at-fault truck crashes dropped by 73 percent after mandatory speed limiter technology legislation took effect in Ontario, Canada.
Other findings of the study include:
- Post 2009, large truck drivers produced fewer at-fault speed collisions relative to all at-fault driver actions
- There is no evidence to suggest worse collision outcomes for large truck drivers post 2009
- The percentage of truck drivers that were struck from the rear stayed more-or-less the same from pre- to post-legislation (10.03 percent of total collisions 2006-2008 and 10.47 percent 2010-2012), whereas for other drivers the rate increased (18.6 percent 2006-2008 and 21.3 percent 2010-2012)
The year-long study dispelled opponents’ position that requiring large trucks to slow down would lead to rear-end crashes. The study further discounted the contention that speed limiters would cause truck drivers to adjust their driving habits to compensate for lost time resulting from slower driving.
The study found no evidence that speed limiters contributed to an increase in collisions involving truck drivers, including rear-end crashes.