LIMITED CONFUSION
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If ever there was a case of two wrongs not making a right then this is it.
But that's what you get when you go down the route of parallel legislation. To be fair the DOT did oppose harmonised set speeds. Too bad the EC directive was subject to "qualified majority voting", which translates as Britain's viewpoint being over-ruled by our European partners Pity it didn't happen with the 40-tonne limit. But now the DOT has taken a pinch of UK limiter law, added a dash of EC limiter law and finished up with three—yes three—separate motorwdy speed limits, with two contra led by imiters, for goods vehicles operating in the UK. There's the current (nonlimited) 70mph rule for LGVs up to 7.5 tonnes; a 60mph limit for LGVs running at 7,51-12 tonnes; and a new 5 6mph (90km/h) limit for trucks over 12 tonnes. If the DOT does eventually settle for this ludicrous triple whammy it will also have to accept the need for physically checking that each limiter is set to the correct speed. In other words, instead of merely looking to see if the limiter is fitted and sealed, Test Stations should run all limited trucks over a rolling road to see if they're doing what they're supposed to do. We do it with tachographs; why not limiters?
Given what the DOT could have done truck operators might consider they're got the best of a bad deal. Coach operators will probably see it another way. While they're still allowed to use the third lane of a motorway, the DOT says ominously: "The situation should be kept under review," Our bet is that as soon as coaches are limited to the EC's proposed 65mph limit the congestion in the third lane will become so horrendous that they'll have to be banned from using it. Then we'll have trucks and coaches mingling in the second lane—and just wait for the headlines when a 38-tonner meets a 53-seater. Who said limiters would improve road safety? Unfortunately the one trick the DOT has missed is to raise dualcarriageway speed limits in line with the proposed EC motorway limit.
On the face of it they're right: too many trucks already treat dual carriageways like motorways. But if the limits had been raised at least limiters would have ensured they'd be obeyed.
As the man said, it's a right old muddle, And who do you think is going to get saddled with it? Step forward your Friend and mine, Joe Soap Haulier...