Make up your minds?

Oklahoma lawmaker pursues split speeds on turnpikes

With the memory of a deadly wreck involving a tractor-trailer last summer still fresh in his mind, an Oklahoma lawmaker is looking to slow large trucks by 10 mph along turnpikes in the state.
Sen. Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee, has prefiled a bill for consideration during the upcoming regular session. It would reduce the speed limit for big rigs on the Sooner State’s 10 turnpikes from 75 mph to 65 mph. All other vehicles would be allowed to continue to drive along at the current speed limit.
Garrison wrote the bill in response to an incident along the Will Rogers Turnpike. The wreck in June 2009 killed 10 people after a tractor-trailer struck six vehicles stopped because of an earlier wreck.
Oklahoma law now leaves decisions on turnpike speeds up to the Department of Public Safety. The Turnpike Authority first must recommend any change to speeds, and the DPS is required to sign off on it.
Opponents say that requiring trucks to drive at speeds slower than other vehicles does not promote safety on roads. They say it does exactly the opposite by requiring vehicles to be constantly in conflict with each other.