The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
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
-
Permalink Reply by Chris Harris on
-
I agree with you Lutan, apparatus should be governed somehow, there is no need to go racing down the road at a high rate of speed and put the public, and your crew members at risk to get to a job. I also think that each driver should be CDL certified to operate apparatus due to ht., wt. and length of most of the vehicles.
Heres one for you! I read a article that was about Water Tender/Tanker roll overs and the high mortallity rates involved, the article stated some authority was considering making Water tenders/Tankers non emergency vehicles due to the water loads they carry. Your Opinion!
-
Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
-
What is "CDL certified"?
some authority was considering making Water tenders/Tankers non emergency vehicles due to the water loads they carry.
That's an interesting concept, but just because it's not an emergency vehicle, doesn't mean it still won't be driven hard by someone....
-
-
CDL- Commercial Drivers License, in NY there are CDL1, 2, &3. These are for different weight classes of commercial vehicles..
-
-
We have the following classes:
Car- You can drive a vehicle that does not exceed 4.5 tonnes Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and can seat up to 12 adults including the driver. This does not include motor cycles and motor trikes.
Can drive as soon as you get a car licence.
Motor Cycle (R)- You can drive any two or three wheeled vehicle that includes a sidecar, forecar or trailer and includes a motor trike. Can drive as soon as you get a motorcycle licence.
Boat licence- A motor boat licence allows you to operate a motorised boat in Victorian waters. You can also have your motor boat licence endorsed to operate personal watercraft loke jet ski's and Seadoo's. You must be at least 12 years of age to apply for a boat operator licence.
Light Rigid (LR)- You may drive any rigid vehicle, including bus and truck, greater than 4.5 tonnes GVM but equal to or less than 8 tonnes GVM or a vehicle that seats more than 12 adults including the driver that has a GVM not greater than 8 tonnes GVM. To apply for this category you must have held a car driver licence for at least 12 months.
Medium Rigid (MR)- You may drive any two axle rigid vehicle, including bus and truck, greater than 8 tonnes GVM. You may tow a single trailer (other than a semi trailer) up to 9 tonne GVM or to the manufactures specifications (whichever is less). To apply for this category you must have held a car driver licence for at least 12 months.
Heavy Rigid (HR) You may drive any rigid vehicle with three or more axles, including bus or truck, greater than 8 tonnes GVM. You may tow a single trailer (other than a semi trailer) up to 9 tonne GVM or to the manufactures specifications (whichever is less). To apply for this category you must have held a car driver licence for at least 24 months.
Heavy Combination (HC)- You may drive a prime mover or single semi trailer exceeding 9 tonne, or rigid vehicle plus trailer greater than 9 tonnes GVM. A Mass and Dimension permit may also be required. Check with VicRoads by calling 13 11 71. To apply for this category you must have held a car driver licence for at least 24 months, including Medium Rigid or Heavy Rigid licence for at least 12 months.
Multi Combination (MC)- You may drive a heavy combination vehicle with one or more additional trailers. To apply for this category you must have held a Heavy Combination, Heavy Rigid or a combination of Heavy Rigid and a Heavy Combination vehicle licence for at least 12 months, plus the completion of an approved course.
-
Permalink Reply by PA Firefighter on
-
Yes the speeds should be governed. We governed the speed on our last two pieces ordered. No need to go 50 mph thru the city.
-
Permalink Reply by Teddy on
-
Our front-line Engine is just slow, no govenor needed. And for the others I dont think they should.
-
-
I'm a massive fan of data recorders- they should be fitted to EVERY SINGLE vehicle. ( I know it's cost prohibitive, but....)
-
Permalink Reply by Joey "BigShow" De Piano on
-
Why not ?..we are told all the time just cause we are emergency vehicles we still must obey the laws so what better way to make us do the speed limits. The insurers issue a rate less for such safety imlaments in place...only way we will ever stop major accidents from peole zoning out cause its a fire truck are things that Volvo are working on like brakes that apply when to close or approaching a light..we will never control the reaction a truck has that carrie water cause its sloshing about causing the wieght variables as we drive..but once we add all these features then we face next issues..trucks costing 2 million dollars each
-
Permalink Reply by Oldman on
-
I am tired of the fire service being used as a scapegoat.
Ladies and gentleman, over 60,000 people are being killed on the nations roadways each and every year. And they are NOT being killed by fire apparatus. If anyone needs speed limiters on vehicles, it's John Q Public.
NFPA is now going to restrict speeds on apparatus to 60 and 68 mph. Ok fine, but there are places in this country where they won't even be able to do the speed limit, much less exceed it. There are many stretches here in Texas which have a legal speed limit of 85 mph. The long haul trucks with their 86,000 lb + loads will still be able to drive the speed limit. John Q Public will still be able to drive the limit. Why are WE being singled out? Is this going to stop these 60,000 + highway deaths?
Don't get me wrong, I do not have a problem with limiting speeds of apparatus. I don't have a problem with taking the lights and sirens off of tankers. But knee jerk reactions although well intentioned, will do little to change the big picture. If this issue is ever going to change, have ALL vehicles limited to say 50 mph. This will eliminate the different speed limits in this country, nobody can get somewhere any faster than anybody else, and firefighters will learn that the fire will still be burning when they get there.
-
Permalink Reply by drew on
-
Governed trucks don't make safer trucks. You can roll an apparatus at 30 mph just the same as you can roll it at 60, you can blow through a red light at 30 mph just the same as at 60 mph. The driver is the critical factor in apparatus safety. For our district a governed truck would make no difference, I have interstate highways that if governed at slower speeds, would cause our apparatus to drive at an unsafe slower speed on interstate highways. If governed at an interstate speed, lets say 70 then it would offer no use on the rural roads. We train constantly with our apparatus operators and continualy remind them of how dangerous driving an apparatus can be through the use of the various email and internet sites that constantly show apparatus accidents.
Shouldn't the real discussion be on developing sop/sog's that dictate what you respond emergency to and what you don't. I certainly think that if we eliminate the emergency responses to every request for assistance, a true reduction in apparatus accidents will occur.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
