Can Speed of Vehicle be Limited to 60 mph

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I saw a truck with a sign on it that said, "This vehicle Speed is Limited to 60 mph". It went on to say in smaller letters to save on gas and emissions, blah blah.

Is there really a way that limits the top speed of a vehicle to as low as 60 mph? Can something be installed to limit a vehicle's speed limit? If so, why don't we have these installed on vehicle's teenagers or inexperienced drivers drive? It seem high rates of speed are huge causes of accidents for inexperienced drivers. For that matter, why not have all cars installed so that they can only go as high as the top legal speed in a country in which the vehicle is purchased?

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I wondered about this myself- such a device ought to make speeding impossible on the highway. Seems to me it would also conserve fuel.

Someone told me there is such a device called a "governor", but for some reason I don't understand it isn't practical. Maybe it is too expensive, or maybe it is too easy to remove, or maybe it has a bad effect on the other systems of the car.

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I would think there would be times when a device such as that would be really dangerous.

I'm not an advocate of speeding, but there have been times I've had to quickly accelerate in order to avoid getting into an accident.

Sometimes slowing down, swerving, etc. isn't the thing that needs to be done.

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Equus wrote:

Someone told me there is such a device called a "governor", but for some reason I don't understand it isn't practical. Maybe it is too expensive, or maybe it is too easy to remove, or maybe it has a bad effect on the other systems of the car.

There is such a device and they are fairly common in big rigs, tractors, power generators and such. They aren't common on passenger cars (although some of the high end sports cars have them!)
http://www.woodward.com/engine/gaseng/gaseng2/electronic.cfm

For one thing, it means you can't accellerate if you need to (like to pass on the highway) and people, in general, don't like to be told what they can and can't do. Ford tried this back during the 70s gas crisis with the Mustang II and sales plummetted. The thing couldn't get out of it's own way.

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I rented a box truck from Penske (I think it was an 18-footer, but it's been a few years) that had a speed brake that kept it from going over 70 mph. Didn't think much of it until I got into eastern Montana and North Dakota, where 70 mph is much slower than most of the traffic, including the big rigs.

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I believe that school busses also have governors on them.

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For some reason when I keep thinking of the governator when I read through this.

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What you are referring to is a speed limiter. Governors are an RPM-controlling device used mainly on stationary genset applications and tractors.

Almost all modern EFI cars have top speed limiters. I had a 91 Beretta limited to 110. My 96 Impala SS is currently limited to 140 (although at its current tune it won't quite make that much).

You can simply reprogram the computer to have a different top speed limit. There are several different ways to limit top speed. For instance, the 91 Beretta would shut down the fuel injection for 2 seconds once you hit 110. Then it would kick back in until you hit 110 again. The Impala I have uses an ignition pattern to rotate dropped cylinders effecting a rotating misfire which just keeps you at 140. Others like the later electronic throttled cars (like the LS1 in a corvette for example) simply override your foot's input and close the throttle to maintain a top speed limit.

As far as emissions are concerned, its a crapshoot. All cars (based on gearing, engine, catalyst, individual emissions profile, aerodynamic drag, tire size... ad infinitum) will have a different speed at which they are the most efficient; that is to say, the point at which they put out the fewest emissions per mile. Arbitrarily saying that 60 mph saves emissions and fuel is pointless.

When it comes to safety, slower is not always safer. Traffic planners know this. They know that congested traffic moves faster if drivers move at different speeds the same way grains of sand will move faster through an hourglass if they are not uniformly sized. As long as drivers conform to a speed that falls within about 10 mph plus or minus the surrounding traffic, safety is not appreciably compromised (provided the driver and car are capable of safely operating at those speeds)

Forgive the long post, but that was something we focused heavily on when I was with the engineering team at [insert major scandanavian/american automaker here] The debate has been around for years.

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I totally agree, that reducing the limit speed of vehicles does not effect safer traffic. In Austria it is permitted to drive light vehicles with a maximum speed of 28mp/h.

Most of the people who drive those, have lost the driving license or are just older. They don't want to make a driving license anymore. This is dangerous because of two reasons.
At first such persons don't know traffic rules or they make drivers behind them go crazy. Often they try to overtake the light vehicle dangerously....

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They have satellite links on the company-owned trucks that can track every move the driver makes, and even shut the rig down if they wish.

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DrewDad wrote:

They have satellite links on the company-owned trucks that can track every move the driver makes, and even shut the rig down if they wish.

I saw that on CSI or similar before. Cool think I can put that on my kids' car when they get older?

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the ONTARIO TRUCKING ASSOCIATION has asked the ontario government to establish legislation that will force all truck owners (big rigs) to install speed limiters (max 105 kmh = about 65 niles) .
the reasons are quite simple :
cut down on fuel consumption = save gas = improve profit
reduce accidents = reduce insurance cost = improve profit

it seems that capitalism and government rules CAN live with each other :wink: !
hbg

Quote:

Province Supports Mandatory Speed Limiters

Speed Limiters Enhance Road Safety

QUEEN'S PARK, July 3 /CNW/ - Making speed limiters on trucks mandatory is
part of Ontario's plan to improve road safety, Transportation Minister Donna
Cansfield said today.
"Ontario is a leader in road safety, and this government is always
looking for ways to make our highways safer," Cansfield said. "Ontario is
proposing to regulate speed limiters at 105 kilometres per hour. Regulating
the use of speed limiters for large commercial trucks may help prevent serious
collisions."
A speed limiter is a built-in microchip that enables a truck engine's top
speed to be preset. All trucks built in the last decade come equipped with
this technology.
Slowing rigs down on provincial highways and keeping traffic moving at a
safe speed will help make Ontario's highways safer for everybody. Mandatory
speed limiters could also reduce overall annual greenhouse gas emissions
released from heavy-duty trucks and save a typical tractor-trailer
10,500 litres of diesel fuel annually.
Ontario Trucking Association president, David Bradley, says, "This is a
great step forward for highway safety and for the environment."
"Even though truck drivers are on the whole the least likely to be
excessively speeding, the means exist through activation of speed limiters to
virtually eliminate it and to improve lane discipline at the same time," he
said.
Mandating speed limiters would build on legislation passed this spring,
which targets dangerous and reckless driving with tough penalties for those
convicted of drinking and driving and street racing offences.
"The McGuinty government is delivering on its commitment to keep
communities and families safe. We plan to work with industry and safety
experts to bring this forward in a timely and effective manner," added
Cansfield.

source :
ONTARIO TRUCKING ASSOCIATION WANTS SPEED LIMITERS

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A couple of years ago, ome European countries (France, the UK, th Netherlands) made expriments with the ISA ( Intelligent Speed Adaptation).

Link to the UK experiment website

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it is interesting to note that suggestion has NOT been made by the government or any of its agencies but by the ONTARIO TRUCKERS ASSOCIATION !
there is little doubt in my mind that with increasing fuelprices and higher insurance rates , the association is speaking for its members and wants to help them reduce their operating costs (= lift the profits - which have become pretty thin in the trucking business) .
hbg

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hamburger wrote:

it is interesting to note that suggestion has NOT been made by the government or any of its agencies but by the ONTARIO TRUCKERS ASSOCIATION !
there is little doubt in my mind that with increasing fuelprices and higher insurance rates , the association is speaking for its members and wants to help them reduce their operating costs (= lift the profits - which have become pretty thin in the trucking business) .
hbg

lol Yeah, I'm sure that is their only consideration. Wink

Slower speeds = more hours on the road to get to the destination = more trucks needed to get the same quantity of products delivered = you pay more for products that are shipped.

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And the individual truckers will make less, as they're paid by the mile not by the hour.

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DrewDad wrote:

And the individual truckers will make less, as they're paid by the mile not by the hour.

Good point! I'd forgotten about that. :wink:

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fishin wrote:

DrewDad wrote:
And the individual truckers will make less, as they're paid by the mile not by the hour.

Good point! I'd forgotten about that. :wink:

That's the dfference why such works elsehwere, where lorry drivers get a monthly salary based on the weekly working hours.

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DrewDad wrote:

And the individual truckers will make less, as they're paid by the mile not by the hour.

depends on the contract

it's less common for runs to be billed in that way than it was even 2 - 3 years ago

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hamburger wrote:

the ONTARIO TRUCKING ASSOCIATION has asked the ontario government to establish legislation that will force all truck owners (big rigs) to install speed limiters (max 105 kmh = about 65 niles) .
the reasons are quite simple :
cut down on fuel consumption = save gas = improve profit
reduce accidents = reduce insurance cost = improve profit

it seems that capitalism and government rules CAN live with each other :wink: !
hbg

I guarantee it will use more fuel and might cause more accidents. It would save fuel if we're talking about strictly flat areas, but as a truck driver I can tell you that without being able to [safely] use the last part of a downhill run to gain speed for the next hill, it means the difference between topping the next hill at 55 or topping it at 25. A slow truck on a hill means foot to the floor, downshifting, and much more TIME spent with your foot to the floor, not to mention the way it messes up traffic with one lane clogged by slow trucks. I've seen more than one accident caused by widely varying traffic patterns.

Slower is not safer, nor does it mean less fuel. In 1960, sure... going 35 probably returned the best MPG, but these days with modern aerodynamics, EGR systems, and improvements in friction reduction that might mean 60-80 mph. I know that if I drive 55 in my car I use more fuel than if I drive 70. My axle ratio is such that driving slower causes the engine to lug down meaning more throttle opening with less ground covered per minute.

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Can Speed of Vehicle be Limited to 60 mph

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