BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 333|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 333
Author: La Malfa (R)
Amended: 4/28/11
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 5-3, 4/26/11
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Harman, Huff, Rubio
NOES: Kehoe, Lowenthal, Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Pavley
SUBJECT : Vehicles: speed limits
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill allows, until January 1, 2016, a
person to drive a large truck or a vehicle pulling a
trailer at up to 65 miles per hour on a specified section
of Interstate 5 (I-5) in northern California, contained
within the counties of Tehama, Glenn, Colusa and Yolo.
ANALYSIS : Existing law generally sets a maximum speed
limit of 65 miles per hour (MPH) on freeways. In some
instances, however, it allows the Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), with the approval of the
California Highway Patrol (CHP), to post a speed limit of
70 MPH when Caltrans determines that a 70 MPH speed limit
would facilitate the orderly movement of vehicular traffic
and would be reasonable and safe. Caltrans has used this
authority to post a speed limit of 70 MPH on certain
sections of I-5, including most of the 120-mile section
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from Woodland, which is 20 miles east of Sacramento, to
Cottonwood, which is about 15 miles south of Redding.
Existing law also prohibits a person from driving the
following vehicles at speeds in excess of 55 MPH on any
roadway:
A motor truck or truck tractor having three or more
axles, including when such a vehicle is pulling a
trailer.
A passenger vehicle or bus pulling another vehicle.
A school bus transporting any school pupil.
A farm labor vehicle when transporting passengers.
Any vehicle transporting explosives.
This bill:
1. Permits, until January 1, 2016, a person driving a motor
truck or truck tractor having three or more axles or any
motor vehicle pulling a trailer to drive at a speed of
up to five MPH less than the posted speed limit on I-5
north of Woodland and south of Cottonwood (i.e., at 65
MPH), specifically within the counties of Tehama, Glenn,
Colusa and Yolo.
2,.Requires, by March 31, 2015, Caltrans and CHP to report
to the Legislature on the traffic flow and traffic
safety effects of this change in law.
Comments
According to the author's office introduced this bill in
response to complaints about truck traffic causing
congestion along I-5 in northern California. The posted
speed limit on the section of I-5 that this bill covers is
currently 70 MPH, but trucks are restricted to 55 MPH.
When one truck passes another or merges for any reason into
the left lane of this two- lane freeway, vehicles caught
behind the truck must slow to 55 MPH. The author's office
believes that truck traffic would not be an issue if trucks
were allowed to drive at a speed closer to the speed of
other vehicular traffic, rather than 55 MPH. This bill
would result in a speed limit of 65 MPH for trucks and
vehicles pulling trailers on this stretch of I-5. The
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author's office included the 2016 sunset date to provide an
opportunity to determine if I-5 traffic flow does improve
as a result of increased speed limits for trucks and cars
with trailers.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/5/11)
The Owner-Operated Independent Drivers Association, Inc.
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The Owner-Operator Independent
Drivers Association, Inc. supports this bill and writes,
"This change would more closely align permissible truck
speed limits with those of cars and light trucks that are
currently at 70mph.
This is good, responsible safety legislation that the full
Senate should approve. Virtually every safety study
conducted over the past 30 years reaches the same
conclusion - highway safety is enhanced when all vehicles
are traveling at or close to the same speeds. When
vehicles are travelling at the same speeds, they do not
interact with others while passing and changing lanes which
reduces or eliminates opportunities for vehicles to come
together in an accident."
RJG:do 5/5/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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