Governor Blagojevich, AAA urge lawmakers to stress safety on trucking speed limits

Under SB 2374 trucks would be able to drive 65 miles per hour on more than 2,000 miles of Illinois highways, including 1,938 miles of interstate highways, 118 miles of four-lane divided roads, and 52 miles of other freeways.

"It's a matter of public safety. Ten miles per hour can be the difference between life and death for a person in a car," Gov. Blagojevich said. "A truck traveling at 65 miles per hour will strike a car with an impact 40 percent greater than one traveling at 55 miles per hour. Raising the speed limit for trucks means more people will die on Illinois highways."

"The safety of families who travel on Illinois highways is more important than any arguments advanced by the trucking industry. That's why I'm urging the House to uphold my veto of SB 2374," Gov. Blagojevich said.

Since the 65/55 speed limit was imposed in Illinois 1988 through to 2001, there was a 22 percent decrease in fatal crashes involving tractor-trailer. Semi crashes declined, according to the IDOT Traffic Safety Study, despite a 58 percent increase in the number of vehicle miles driven by large trucks on rural interstate highways during the 12-year span.

Joining Gov. Blagojevich on his call to state legislators were family members of Paulette Nelson, a recent victim of a crash involving a tractor-trailer. On September 11, 2004, as she was driving southbound on I-94, Ms. Nelson's Toyota was violently rear ended by a semi. Ms. Nelson, 57, a teacher for 30 years at Trinity High School for Girls in River Forest, died from her injuries. Her husband Barry, 61, was also injured in the accident.

National Safety Council President and CEO, Alan C. McMillan stood with the Governor today, saying "As the leader in providing solutions for reducing unintentional deaths and disabling injuries, the National Safety Council fully supports the Governor's goal to ensure safety on Illinois highways by maintaining the current speed limit for trucks. The research is clear: when thousands of trucks increase their speed, collisions, serious injuries and fatalities also increase substantially."

According to AAA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), when tractor-trailer trucks travel at speed rates of 55 mph or higher, it significantly increases the likelihood the truck will either jackknife or rollover.

Steve JN Bernth, President & COO of AAA Chicago applauded Gov. Blagojevich's efforts to ensure Illinois' highways are as safe as possible. "We admonish the experts and opinion-leaders of the House of Representatives to do the same by upholding his veto. AAA Chicago feels strongly that upholding the Governor's veto of SB 2374 would in effect save lives."

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety there were 4,980 people killed in the United States in crashes involving large trucks during 2001. Of these, 74 percent were people in cars or other passenger vehicles.

Illinois Department of Transportations' Traffic Safety Division reported that in 2004, to date, there have been 97 fatal accidents involving tractor-trailers, with a total of 113 deaths. The numbers for 2003 were 125 fatal crashes, with 154 deaths. Illinois already ranks eight in the nation in the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks, and the NHTSA estimates that as many as 111 more people will die on the state's highways if the speed limit for trucks is raised to 65 mph.

Missouri, Iowa and Kansas all allow tractor-trailer trucks to travel at the same rate as passenger vehicles. From 1995 to 2001, involvement of large trucks in fatal crashes increases by 27 percent. Indiana, Ohio and Michigan limit truck highway speeds at levels below that of passenger vehicles. From 1995 to 2001 involvement of large trucks in fatal crashes decreased by 15 percent, according to NHTSA and AAA statistics.

"As the state's chief advocate for safe highways, I have to oppose SB 2374 because there is a mountain of evidence that suggests raising the speed limit for trucks to 65 mph will make our roads more dangerous and lead to increased fatalities," said Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Tim Martin. "Seatbelts and air bags will offer little protection to passengers in a car when an 80,000-pound semi slams into it."

"It is the duty of the Illinois State Police (ISP) to safeguard the roadways of Illinois for the motoring public. Therefore we fully support the Governor in his resolve against raising the speed limit for trucks," state ISP Director Larry Trent.