A new study analyzed more than 15,000 crashes and 138,000 18-wheelers across 28 separate fleets in the United States. The research undertaken by the American Transportation Research Institute in the Virginia Tech University Transportation Institute was done in order to support a rule that would mandate a maximum speed limit of 68 mph for all commercial trucks. Something only becomes an NHTSA proposed rule once research has confirmed there’s a basis for the concept. From there, an NHTSA proposed rule has to be approved and given an active date by which all impacted individuals must comply.

Commercial trucking accidents often have some of the most devastating consequences for victims on the road. Speed limits on commercial trucks may help to prevent collisions, according to the NHTSA. If accepted, the NHTSA proposed rule will mandate maximum speed on all commercial trucks in an effort to curb the number of deadly trucking accidents.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has feared in the past that approximately 25% of all accidents on the highway involved a speeding trucker. Some of the other most common causes of trucking accidents include:

  •       Distracted driving
  •       Inexperienced drivers
  •       Unsafe lane changes
  •       Defective truck equipment
  •       Improperly loaded cargo
  •       Drug or alcohol use
  •       Aggressive driving
  •      Failing to maintain proper distance

With the typical size and weight of commercial trucks, accidents can be extremely serious. Those victims hit by a speeding commercial truck may have life-changing injuries. Many victims are killed instantly in an accident involving a heavy truck. When such an event occurs, family members may feel as though there’s no way for them to begin to put their lives back together. Struggling with the aftermath of a loved one killed in a preventable truck speeding accident generates a lot of legal questions that might ultimately prompt family members to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.