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Should Emergency Vehicles Be Speed Limitted/Governed?
Forget your department SOP's, etc- should all emergency vehicles be speed limitted or governed?
Why or why not?
Should that speed limit be different for different types of vehicles? (ie: as they get heavier and bigger, should the limit be lower?)
Consider that by speed limiting or governing them, regardless of how some members liek to drive and risk theirs, yours and the public's life, the governor will lessen the chance. (It won't eliminate it- ever!)
Why or why not?
Should that speed limit be different for different types of vehicles? (ie: as they get heavier and bigger, should the limit be lower?)
Consider that by speed limiting or governing them, regardless of how some members liek to drive and risk theirs, yours and the public's life, the governor will lessen the chance. (It won't eliminate it- ever!)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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I think they should. This is because the newer vehicles are getting bigger and heavier and when your adrenaline is pumping you sometimes can't help but try to get there faster then you should. In my paid job we have to key in when we get in the drivers seat. The system that is used is called road safe. This system records when you take a turn to sharp, stop to quick or hard and when it lets you know right away when you have gone over the top speed that the rig is governed at. The system also records if you have a spotter or not for when you are backing up. This system was put in because of the accidents that were happening and the insurance company was the one that pretty much required them to be put in the rigs.
I think this should be something that should b e in all pieces of apparatus whether it be volunteer or career. This would help with controlling the speed that the rigs are being driven at and if an accident was to a cure then there is another avenue to getting to why the accident or incident happened. I think the drivers need to remember the speed limit is the speed limit for ALL vehicles, rescue, fire, police. It doesn't matter.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Milton on
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Gov. the speed is a good thing, but what about those roads that are not safe at the gov. speed ? We all need more training and hands on exp. All the safety equip. in the world doesn't help if we are not trained!!! Were we are located the roads are very curvy and dangerous speed gov. would not help.
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Jeff you are correct and I didn't mention that and I should have. Driver training is very important and should always be done every year as a refresher.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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I would have to say.....YES...definitely...why risk life more than it already is...the few seconds that you might arrive faster just isn't worth it....SLOW DOWN PEOPLE...we are killing ourselves...its time to wake up....Paul
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Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on
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I am all for governing all emergency vehicles. I was the primary driver for 14 years at my company and I know that if our vehicles were not governed I more than likely would have pushed the limit on different occasions. Confirmed entrapment on a working structure or any other call were the situation is in dire need.
Human nature while driving is : Adrenaline = Equal or greater pressure on the pedal to the right. It is a proven fact.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Good questions Luke. First and foremost let me be clear in saying that all vehicles should be governed. I think the govern should be set to 5 over the maximum speed limit in your town/city. Do I think this tends to be a childish requirement? That answer is YES!
It is apparent through the volume of high speed crashes that intervention of some sort is necessary on a local level. (the use of speed governer's) If the speed control is knocking down the maximum speed allowable, than there is less risk.
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As I stated in my response down below, the govern can be changed to accomidate the terrain in your own district. Just because a truck is governed at 55 doesn't mean you have to drive 55. Thats where we agree that training and more training is essential
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Permalink Reply by Jim Madison on
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This is a hard topic. I know that older more experienced drivers will keep in hand but the young bucks will let there adrenalin take over and go balls to the wall. This is when a good officer will take the young kid in hand and slow him down and teach him the way things are. Hell look at Boston recently. From what I understand they weren’t going that fast but hit a hill and lost breaks sending them crashing through a brick building killing the Lt. and injuring the rest of the crew. Granted that is a break failure but it is something good to talk to your kids about when they are in there driver training. We are useless if we can’t get there in one piece.
I am against governors for the simple reason that some places need to be capable of higher speeds than others. A good example is a department with a major highway. The rigs we have in my department can’t even get up to the usual cruising speed on the interstate. (They top out at 70.) Some interstates have speeds of 80 so why govern the rigs? Just teach the driver properly and have the officer’s step up to the plate and don’t be afraid to tell the drivers to slow down.
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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First and foremost let me be clear in saying that all vehicles should be governed.
I take that literally- ALL vehicles including the civillan cars should be limitted. Do we need a high performance car capable of 200 km/h? NO!
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I know that older more experienced drivers will keep in hand but the young bucks will let there adrenalin take over and go balls to the wall.
C'mon Jim, there's a generalisation if ever i heard one!
I've seen just as many "older more experienced drivers" go balls to the wall as well....!
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I've had a few arguments with drivers in the past- they often sit there and tell me how well they can handle a truck at 140km/h, etc. I often stop them short when I ask if they've ever had a blow out at that speed or similar.
I too can handle a vehicle at high speed, but I've never had a blow out at high speed- that takes a whole different approach to handle and not crash....
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Permalink Reply by morris washburn on
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I agree the vehical should be lowered to Governed speed . we have a 2006 Inter. pumper and so far I cant get it over 68 mph,it cuts out.I feel this is the safest truck we have . I also feel that an Emergency vehical should NOT go OVER ten mph of the posted speed.
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