By John Seewer
The Associated Press

TOLEDO - Beginning next month, drivers of big trucks on the Ohio Turnpike will be free to travel 65 mph - the same speed as other vehicles.

The State Highway Patrol will watch closely to see if the increased speed limit for semitrailers leads to more serious accidents.

And so will the Ohio Trucking Association and lawmakers who favor setting one speed limit on nearly all of the state's interstates.

They hope the change on the turnpike will prove their case that a uniform speed of 65 mph is safer than two speed limits and will build momentum for a change statewide.

"Down the road, with positive results, we will be looking at doing this on the other interstates," said Larry Davis, president of the Ohio Trucking Association. "As long as it comes out good."

The Ohio Turnpike Commission and state transportation leaders hope that the new speed limit, which will take effect Sept. 8, and a proposed toll reduction not yet in place will move trucks off overloaded two-lane roads.

In recent years, there have been several failed attempts in the Ohio Legislature to raise the speed limit for trucks on interstates.

Opponents, most notably the State Highway Patrol, stopped the proposals by arguing that increased speeds would make highways more dangerous because semitrailers' weight makes them take longer to stop.

Advocates of equal speeds argue that requiring trucks to travel at 55 mph causes dangerous congestion as faster-moving vehicles jockey to pass.

The chairman of the Ohio Senate's Highways and Transportation Committee believes that if the new turnpike speed works, it will knock down some arguments against allowing trucks to travel 65 mph.

"I would not advocate it at this point until we get through at least a year," said Sen. Jeffrey Armbruster, a North Ridgeville Republican.

But no matter what the results show, it's unlikely the Ohio Department of Transportation and the patrol will change their opposition.

"If you look at the history of our position on this, I think our stance will remain strong on this issue," said patrol spokesman Lt. Richard Zwayer.

Allowing higher speeds on the turnpike can't be compared with other highways, he said, because the turnpike has better pavement, fewer interchanges with merging traffic and it's easy to drive.

"It's very straight. It's not very hilly," Zwayer said. "It's a very good road. We also have troopers specifically assigned to the turnpike. That certainly makes a difference."