Will Canadian commercial drivers adopt U.S. speeding habits?

A recent U.S. decision to drop proposals to enforce speed limiters on buses and heavy trucks could impact the risk behaviours of fleet drivers.

Some P&C insurance professionals say it could have a de facto impact on how fast cross-border commercial drivers travel when they’re in Canada.

In both 2016 and 2022, the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed restricting truck speeds to between 60-68 mph (96-109 km/h). Posted speed limits reach 70 mph in several U.S. states and are higher in some areas.

Related: How high U.S. speed limits affect cross-border truck fleet coverage

But while commentary on the issue has focused on heavy trucks, it’s overlooked another large roadway user — buses.

“The focus in these conversations is often on tractor-trailers, but many don’t realize that buses are often exempt from these types of regulations,” says Mark Fabbroni, an engineer, and vice president and practice lead for Collision Reconstruction and Trucking at 30 Forensic Engineering.

“That includes…Ontario, where you will routinely see even transit or school buses, which generally are not equipped with seat belts, traveling on freeways at speeds of 120 km/h or more.

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“In my opinion, these vehicles with their high number of occupants pose the highest risks, and not enough is done to restrict their speeds or where they operate.”

Related: How physics impacts injuries if transit buses crash

Fabbroni shares anecdotal evidence that some heavy trucks travelling in Ontario exceed the 105 km/h speeds required by provincial speed limiter regulations. He adds there is no data to determine whether those drivers are cross-border operators and says better enforcement is needed to correct the speeding problem.

Studies show that when provinces or municipalities raise speed limits, it increases both the risk of collisions and their associated severity, he says.

“Higher speed limits generally reduce the time available to drivers to react to unexpected hazards, resulting in more collisions,” Fabbroni tells Canadian Underwriter. “Further, increased speed limits will likely result in higher impact speeds, collision forces, and the likelihood of catastrophic or fatal injuries.”

Related: Bus rider injured due to sudden braking not entitled to benefits

Beyond injury, property and casualty insurance professionals say increased speeds can raise risks that lead to higher premiums for fleet operators.

“Insurance premiums are based on several rating factors that vary for each account’s risk profile, including frequency and severity of claims,” Eddie Staines, vice president of transportation & specialty auto, Canada, at Intact Insurance told CU last month in comments about cancellation of the speed limiter proposal.

He added telematics systems give insurers valuable data beyond speed information, such as lane changing and braking patterns, to help them better calculate client risk.

What’s more, says Fabbroni, higher speeds resulting in more severe collisions are likely to increase property and cargo damage for fleet operators.

“Additionally, higher travel speeds can cause higher stresses and increased wear on vehicle components, leading to earlier failure of components and reduced vehicle life,” he says.

“Odometer readings do not always tell the full story — not all miles are equally stressful on a vehicle.”

Phil Porado

Phil, an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in financial topics, has been managing editor of Canadian Underwriter for more than three years.