TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Idaho lawmakers are considering a bill that would eliminate the state's lower speed limit for heavy commercial semi-trucks on interstates, bringing Idaho in line with states like Utah, Wyoming, and Nevada.
House Bill 664 was presented by Representative Doug Pickett at a House Transportation Committee meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26. The bill has since been approved by the committee and is headed to the House floor for a vote.
Pickett argued that the speed difference between passenger vehicles and commercial semis creates dangerous conditions on the road.
WATCH | Hear what supporters and opponents have to say about HB 664—
"If a truck moves into the left lane going about 60, 65 in a lane of traffic that's doing 85, realistically, you have a very sudden interaction there and usually that involves a string of vehicles," Pickett said.
Pickett also noted that inconsistent road conditions — not speed itself — are the biggest danger on the highway, and that interactions among drivers increase by up to 227% based on speed variability.
Assistant Majority Leader Jason Monks agreed with Pickett's assessment, pointing to neighboring states as evidence.
"Utah doesn't have differential they have much less accidents than Idaho. Idaho has the fourth highest accidents for heavy vehicles in the country," Monks said.
Idaho currently has a lower speed limit for heavy commercial semis, as do Oregon, Washington, and Montana. Supporters of the bill say equalizing the speed limit would reduce bottlenecks, driver frustration, and accidents.
Not everyone on the committee agreed. Representative John Gannon voted against the legislation, raising concerns about the safety implications of allowing large trucks to travel at higher speeds.
"I don't think 80 mile an hour of a big, big, long-haul trucks is a very good idea for Idaho freeways," Gannon said.
"I think that the stopping distance is so much longer and the impact is gonna be so much more damaging at these high speeds," Gannon said.
Matthew Welch, a CDL instructor in Twin Falls with 20 years of experience in the trucking and transportation industry, also expressed reservations about raising the speed limit for semis.
"I do think it actually makes the road safer having that slower speed limit for semi trucks," Welch said.
Welch noted, however, that many trucks are already mechanically limited in how fast they can travel.
"A lot of the trucks out there are governed. A lot of companies have a governed speed limit — that's what they want their trucks to drive," Welch said.
House Bill 664 now moves to the House floor for a full vote.
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