WASHINGTON — Stephen Owings, whose 22-year-old son died when his car was rear-ended, is fighting to have the federal government require the use of speed-limiting devices on all big rigs, saying: "We're not against truckers; we're pro-highway safety."
Most often, citizen-crusaders find themselves in lonely, unequal struggles against industry groups and lobbyists. But this time, David and Goliath seem to be on the same side.
Owings has drawn support from the American Trucking Assns., or ATA, in his effort to get the U.S. Department of Transportation to require the use of the speed-inhibiting devices on big trucks -- or get Congress to mandate them in a highway bill soon to be drafted.
On the other side are conservatives who oppose government regulation of business as a matter of principle, truckers who own their own big rigs, and owners of smaller fleets represented by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn.
These include drivers such as Julia Scott, who said that from the cab of her 18-wheeler she sees passenger cars doing a lot more dangerous things than big trucks. If the government is going to require governors on trucks, she said, "they need to put speed-limiting devices in the cars."
Both proponents and opponents of such regulation defend their positions in terms of public safety.
"One of the things that the trucking industry will say is, 'Cars need to stay out of the trucks' no-zone' -- in other words, give them space," Owings said. "Well, you can't give them space if you're driving along at the speed limit or even faster and some truck comes bearing down on you from behind going 85 mph."
The ATA says the speed-limiting devices, already installed by many trucking lines voluntarily, will save lives and fuel.
"When the industry itself is asking for this requirement, it's hard to see Congress finding fault with it," ATA Senior Vice President Tim Lynch said.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn., however, says mandatory speed governors are likely to lead to more collisions (when a driver needs extra horsepower for an emergency maneuver) and increase traffic congestion (when a speed-limited truck attempts to pass another).
Truck safety has generated interest on Capitol Hill in part because crashes involving big trucks tend to be serious and attract public attention.
