A Georgia senator plans to introduce legislation next year that would slow large trucks down on certain freeways in the state.

Sen. David Adelman, D-Atlanta, said his proposal would restrict big rigs to 55 mph on all highways.

Under current state law, all vehicles are permitted to travel 70 mph on rural interstates and 55 mph in urban areas.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a Georgia man persuaded Adelman to introduce the bill after a Dec. 1, 2002, crash with a semi that killed his son.

Cullum Owings’ vehicle was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer as the vehicles approached slowed interstate traffic, the newspaper reported. Two months later, Cullum’s parents, Steve and Susan Owings, were driving in a snowstorm and were startled that trucks would be passing them on the interstate.

“It was an instance of ‘Can you believe this? Something has to be done,’” Steve Owings said.

A similar bill that tried to slow trucks last year never got out of committee.

Unlike last session’s measure, the new legislation would not lower speeds for tractor-trailers driving within large metropolitan areas, such as Atlanta. The previous version called for slowing trucks down to 45 mph in metro areas.

Adelman said he was also considering a provision to keep trucks out of the left lane.

--by Keith Goble, staff writer

Keith Goble can be reached at keith_goble@landlinemag.com.