By Jim Siegel
Gannett Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - The question of whether cars and trucks should travel the same speed along Ohio's freeways remains unsettled.

For several consecutive General Assembly sessions, a bill creating a uniform 65 mph speed limit for all vehicles on Ohio freeways has been introduced only to die in committee. Trucks now have a 55 mph limit.

This time it's Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, trying to push through the measure. A spokesman for his office said the votes may be there, but so far there's been no interest from House leadership.

Supporters, led by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, have struggled to overcome opposition, particularly from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Lt. Richard Fambro, spokesman for the patrol, said most states that raised the speed limit for trucks have seen an increase in the percentage of fatal crashes involving trucks. Meanwhile, Ohio's figures have dropped, he said.

Also, it takes 443 feet to stop a tractor-trailer going 65 mph - nearly one-and-a-half football fields, he said.

"There is nothing statistically that says our 55 mph speed limit is unsafe," Fambro said.

But Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Independent Drivers Association, disagrees, arguing different speeds forces more lane changes, tailgating and passing.

"It's simple common sense that highway engineers have known and followed for decades," he said.

Jay Zavisin, a truck driver from the Cincinnati area, told a House committee that the increased speed limit is more about safety than allowing him and others to go faster.

Ohio is one of 10 states with different speed limits for cars and trucks.

"Because I can travel through most states at the same speed as cars, I am able to avoid interaction with numerous vehicles," Zavisin said. "I have seen firsthand a decrease in lane changes and congestion in states with uniform speeds."

The Ohio Trucking Association is neutral on the bill, said lobbyist Sherri Warner.

Some of the group's members favor the increase in speed, while others, based on the fact that many truck engines operate most effectively at 55 mph, want no change, she said.