Oklahoma pol wants to lower speed limit for trucks after fall-asleep/mini-stroke crash - legislative smarts?

Oklahoma state senator Earl Garrison has introduced a bill to lower the speed limit for trucks from 75mph to 65mph  on the Oklahoma Turnpike system following a terrible crash last summer when ten people were killed. The crash on the Rogers Turnpike (I-44) June 26 eastbound at MM321 in Ottawa County OK occurred when a tractor-trailer plowed into stopped traffic at the scene of a minor non-injury crash.

Ten people killed in the one crash is an extraordinary number.

Turnpike spokesman Jack Damrill says the Turnpike Authority considers the existing speed limit appropriate. He is quoted: "We are always looking at speeds to see if they are safe for the traveling public or not safe for the traveling public. At this point, we think the (existing) speed (limit)s are safe."

Damrill says existing state law gives the Turnpike the responsibility for advising on any changes to speed limits which may then be legislated, or not.

What's weird about the Senator's speed limit bill is that the June 26 crash didn't involve speeding.

The police report said the tractor-trailer plowed straight into stopped vehicles without the brakes being applied. The truck hit them with such force that it climbed atop three cars and crushed them, causing most of the ten deaths.

Police reported the truck driver Donald Leroy Creed, a 76 year old Missouri man was disoriented  and spoke awhen they got him out of his cab as if he had been parked and other vehicles "had driven underneath him."

Witnesses said Creed's truck never slowed and that his brake lights never lit up. There were no skid marks. A company GPS record showed he was traveling at such constant speed he must have cruise control engaged.

Company GPS showed his truck was traveling at about 5mph below the speed limit for a substantial time before the accident!

Creed could have fallen asleep at the wheel, suffered a transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke) or some other temporary breakdown of consciousness.

At age 76 such conditions are common.

Creed was charged later with ten counts of negligent homicide for inattention at the wheel, since he presented no evidence of a medical problem.

Lower speed limits for trucks are unusual (Ohio Turnpike has one). Most state toll and highway authorities think lower truck limits make no sense since speed differentials themselves can add to hazards by increasing required overtaking.

And the longer hours truckers are at the wheel due to lower speed can be a hazard too for the extra fatigued driving that is required.

A further factor is low speed limits' diversion of vehicles off expressway standard roads to less safe surface arterials.

TOLLROADSnews 2010-01-05