Letter: Speed limits not what you think

We have all seen the Washington state speed limit signs, speed limit 70 mph trucks 60 mph. I have often wondered about the Washington State speed limit for trucks. What is the size limit that causes a truck to fall under the freeway speed limit of 60 mph? I have asked and nobody seems to know (including professional drivers). So I turned to the Washington State Patrol website and found answers that really surprised me.

Here is the specific statute:

RCW 46.61.410

(3) The word’s used by the department on signs giving notice of maximum speed limits means vehicles over ten thousand pounds gross weight and all vehicles in combination …

This would include all trucks larger than a pickup and most motorhomes. But the real surprise is that all vehicles “in combination” (vehicle pulling a trailer) also has a 60 mph speed limit. It is not safe to tow a large trailer at 75 mph. The state of Washington needs to do a better job of educating drivers with better signage and then they need to begin better enforcement. A first step would be to change the speed limit sign to say “trucks/trailers 60 mph”.