The days of large trucks barreling past you on the highway will soon be a thing of the past.
In an effort to reduce air pollution and improve road safety the provincial government plans to cap the speed at which most large rigs can travel. The vehicles will soon have to use an electronic device called a speed limiter that restricts a truck's maximum speed to 105 kilometres per hour.
The bill passed in the Ontario Legislature Monday and the government claims the measure will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 280,000 tonnes - that's the equivalent of taking 2,700 tractor-trailers off the road every year.
Transportation is responsible for just under a third of the province's total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the province.
"Speed limiters slow down trucks, help keep our roads safe and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is another step forward in our plan to build a cleaner, greener and stronger province," Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said in a statement.
The group representing the province's truckers also approves of the use of the speed limiters and believes the new law will not only spare the air, but save trucking companies some cash.
"The mandatory activation of speed limiters is an effective way for the trucking industry to further contribute to safer highways and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The fuel savings from speed limiters will also help to moderate the increases in operating costs from escalating diesel fuel prices," Ontario Trucking Association president David Bradley said. "This is the right thing to do."
The use of speed limiters could be mandatory as soon as this fall, followed by an education period of six to 12 months. The electronic devices have to be installed in all trucks made after 1995 with an electronic engine that operate in Ontario.