• 26
  • September
    2011

Lawmakers in both houses introduced bills this spring that would put much larger commercial vehicles on our nation's roads and highways. The legislation, known as the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act, was proposed in the U.S. Senate as Senate Bill 747. Similar legislation was introduced in the U.S. House as House Resolution 763.

We discussed this bill in our blog in May, and, according to the most recent information on the website of the Library of Congress, it is still awaiting action by committees in both chambers of Congress. The bills aims to allow states to permit trucks of up to 97,000 pounds and a total of six axles to travel within the state on federal highways.

Currently, commercial vehicles loads are not permitted to exceed 80,000 pounds for trucks travelling on federal highways.

Trucking industry lobbyists are united in support of the bill, but many doubt whether it will pass during this congressional session. Trucking industry groups like the Coalition for Transportation Productivity have argued that some states already permit larger trucks on state highways, but federal highways within the same state are off-limits. Trucking industry lobbyists have urged members of Congress to consider studies like that of the Maine Department of Transportation, which found that commercial vehicles over 80,000 pounds can safely travel on Maine's roads and highways.

Bigger Semi Trucks, Larger Risk to Passenger Car Occupants

Public safety experts have objected to the plan to add a larger class of commercial vehicles to the nation's highways. The sheriff of Oklahoma County told the Enid News and Eagle that he objects to super-size semis on Oklahoma roads. He says that the simple fact is that larger commercial vehicles create a greater risk to the travelling public, and that nearly three in ten of Oklahoma's roads and bridges is currently rated as "structurally deficient" or in need of "major repairs or replacement."

Large trucks do present a danger to occupants of passenger vehicles - three out of four fatalities caused in a truck accident were passengers in the other vehicle. In fact, over 3,000 people were killed in truck accidents and another 74,000 were injured in truck accidents in the U.S. in 2009. According to statistics gathered by the Missouri Department of Transportation in an annual report on transportation safety, 68 people were killed tractor-trailer accidents on Missouri roads in 2009. Almost 6,000 Missouri motor vehicle accidents involved trucks, tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles in 2009.

Trucking accident victims and their family members should contact experienced trucking accident attorneys at Humphrey, Farrington & McClain to discuss their legal options.

Source: CTP to Congress: Analysis of Maine bridges supports heavier trucks, CCJDigital.com, 9/6/11