Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on August 24, 2005, to increase the maximum speed limit for trucks to 60 miles per hour on freeways where the auto speed limit is 70 m.p.h. Also, to allow a passenger vehicle towing a trailer to go the posted speed limit. Under current law these cannot exceed 55 m.p.h

The vote was 94 in favor, 12 opposed and 4 not voting

(House Roll Call 585 at House Journal 98)

Click here to view bill details.

Our freeways will be safer once Michigan completes the job of repealing Richard Nixon's 55-mph speed limit. Michigan and California are the only states still living in the dream world where truck drivers go 55 on freeways. Truck drivers, afraid of accumulating tickets on their commercial driver licenses, travel slower in Michigan than they do on turnpikes in other states. To exit Michigan freeways, drivers must frequently make their way across a right-hand lane full of trucks traveling nose-to-tail at 60 or 62 mph. This means changing lanes from the leftmost lanes full of auto traffic doing 70 to 75. Passing a truck means moving into a lane of fast-moving auto traffic, forcing other drivers to slow. These conflicts are inherently unsafe. This bill is actually inadequate: the truck speed limit should be made uniform with all other traffic. Anti-truck demagogues will wring their hands over this idea, and howl, "We're all gonna die" from rampaging trucks, but there are no facts to support this. Most other states get by without different truck speed limits. Any legislator defending the 1974 truck speed limit should be asked, "How many people are you prepared to kill in freeway crashes to show how committed you are to traffic safety?"

You gotta' be kiddin' me! Michigan is basically flat. I-75 is relatively straight. There's no reason for the trucks to be limited to 55. If the cagers are posted at 70, they're actually at 75-80. Under these conditions a trucker at 60-65 is speeding just to get to the point where he's still 10-20 below pace of traffic. It's old news that speed, per se, isn't a problem. Speed differential can be.

...that can be shaken down from truck drivers' wallets! What to see a good example of why this law is obsolete? Go down to Ohio and travel I-80 (stop on over at Cedar Point or even visit Cleveland). 65 mph for everyone. No problems in speed differential adversely affecting traffic flow. The state is already pulling in a boatload of cash right now with fuel prices as high as they are in fuel and sales taxes. MSP can be redeployed to address more pressing issues within the state, instead of harassing Joe Truck Driver for going a few miles over. This bill needs to be fast tracked into passage.

Bravo! I am thrilled to see this truck speed proposal. This is a positive step in the right direction. The main purpose of a limited acess highway is for traffic to move in a smooth uniform manner. In theory, if all traffic were to travel at the exact same speed, there would never be a lane change accident, the major cause of accidents. I am a firm believer certain factions wish to risk safety against split speed limits for the sole purpose of maintaining a profitable business. Most trucks get poorer fuel economy at 55 than 60. I get a substantial gain in economy in states with a higher speed limit. 60 in Indiana. 65 on the Ohio turnpike(but don't even think of tolls on existing roads!). 65 in Kentucky. 70 in Tennesee. A very interesting note is I see in states mentioned most trucks don't exceed 65 to 70 mph. It is time also to get utilize land to produce gas from corn and diesel from soybean. Buck the oil barrons in power and build new refineries to exceed our needs. Thank you, Mike Adams Adams Express

I agree w/ you that the state is creating a hazard by limiting trucks to 55 if it posts a higher limit for cagers. The hazard is not due to speed only. The danger is created when two separate speed limits are imposed, causing some vehicles to move at a significantly slower speed than others. That's what is meant by "differential." If Ohio has 65 for all, there is NO legislated differential...and that's a good thing. Given what is known about traffic safety (versus what was believed in the early 70's), the fact that Michigan would still impose a slower speed for trucks is hard to believe (unless, of course, it is only for revenue enhancement).

Raising the speed limit on trucks is an idea late in coming. The fact that trucks are limited to 15 miles an hour lower than cars, which means the average is about 20 MPH slower since cars are going faster then 70, is dangerous. A truck is much larger, and far more dangerous in an accident. If a car is doing 73, an the semi near them is doing 55, the car has less chance to avoid an accident. If you're driving in the left lane, and head to the right lane to avoid a slow car, and a truck is in that lane doing 55, you're going to slam into the back of that semi. If the semi is actually doing around 60 you've got a better chance to avoid this accident.

Make it the same speed 65 for all Ohio turn pike has it. It works. How stupid can someone be to think that two vehicles travling at 15mphs different speed is safe.

Woo hoo! They raised the truck speed to 60 mph. So that means I can get away with doing 65, while cars are still zipping by at least 75-80. The speed gap is still way too far apart. I've been doing 65 in a 70 for the last 1.5 years I've been driving a truck and it just doesn't feel safe either passing another truck or having to move over into the right lane, because it's harder to judge how fast that car is coming. I love driving in states like Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and New York because everyone is on a level playing field at 65 mph. The best part of these trips is that you can actually make more money because you can get more miles driven in your 11 hour driving period. When you go further south into the Carolinas and such, it's 70 for everyone. Even through some of the craziest mountains in the country! If anything, I would be really happy if Michigan went to an across-the-board speed limit of 65 mph for everyone. It would help the issue of fuel depletion and would be so much safer for everyone. Or have it 70 for everyone from the first week of April through the first week of November due to the slick road seasons. People get really angry when a truck takes over 30-45 seconds to pass another while driving so slow. The Ohio Turnpike is the only road in Ohio that has a 65 mph for everyone. And it boasts to be one of the top 5 safest highways in the country. Everywhere else in the state is 55 mph for "vehicles over 4 tons empty weight". I'm still trying to figure this out... I can only do 55 in Michigan in my truck/trailer combo (over 10,000 lbs GVWR but under 26,000), but when I cross into Indiana I can do 70!?!? After doing 70 in Indiana, I get back in Michigan and am supposed to move back to the snail's pace. It just blows my mind that some of the flattest states like Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio still have the 55 mph for trucks, vehicles with trailers, and motor homes. I remember when I wanted to gouge my eyes out in boredom the first time I drove through Illinois. 60 mph in an F350, very flat boring I-55, and nothing but cows and cornfields. That is another state that needs to wake up. We need to get these politicians in these trucks and let them realize that trucks are much safer than they were 10-20 years ago. Most trucks even have ABS brakes on the trailers! These politicians need to see what it's like to be on I-275 at the I-96/M-14 interchange trying to get over 2 lanes to be in compliance with the posted (all trucks use 2 right lanes). It's a nightmare and my least favorite place to drive. Bottom line: Thanks for finally raising it after 32 years, but it's still just not enough.

One reason for Michigan holking to the 55mph. is the big three auto makers push Michigan into allowing the heaviest trucks in America. Thats why they call them Michigan centipedes. I used to drive a truck in state grossing over 185000 vs. the 80000 limit of average big trucks. I think it is much safer to shink the speed difference between autos and trucks. But, I feel we should shink the max. weight allowed in Michigan. We have been holding unto a 55mph for many trucks because of the few that a very heavy. Why not lower the max. gross weight on the few and increase the speed of the many. I had a mini-van rear end my truck five years ago near Lansing. I was doing 60-62 but the van was well over 80. We should allow trucks 5-10mph more, lower max. weight laws, and crack down on autos doing 80+mph.

C'mon, when was the last time you saw a truck doing 55 mph. Most are traveling 60-70. Some are doing over 70. The 5mph increase just closer reflects what they are already doing.

they are stupid for wanting to change the speed limit.

I think it is so important to increase the speed limit for the trucks. It will help prevent a lot of accident do to the trucks running to slow compared to the cars. I hope this gets passed here. courier service