H.R. 1618, the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act, was introduced on March 19, 2009 by Representative James McGovern (D-MA) and is currently under review by the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. The bill would amend titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code concerning the length of weight limitations for vehicles operating on Federal-aid highways. The bill would extend the current limit of 80,000 pounds and maximum length of 53 feet for tractor trailer trucks on interstates highways. It would also close loopholes that allow for the operation of overweight trucks.

Bigger, heavier trucks take longer to stop and roll over easier. Research shows that a 100,000 pound truck travels 25 percent farther than an 80,000 pound truck after the driver hits the brakes. Heavier trucks would lead to more fatal accidents on our highways.

Large trucks already account for a disproportionate share of deaths. Large trucks account for approximately 2.4 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled; that’s 50 percent greater than the rate for standard traffic. In 2006, 4,995 people died and 106,000 were injured in truck accidents.

Congressman McGovern said, “Heavier, unsafe trucks pose significant dangers to our driving public and to our roads and bridges. Our deteriorating infrastructure can ill afford the crushing damage that heavier trucks inflict, and motorists should not be subjected to such enormous risks. This is sensible, bipartisan legislation. I look forward to working with Senator Lautenberg to ensure that common-sense weight and size limits for trucks on our highways are maintained.”

U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) also supports the bill. Senator Lautenberg said, “Adding heavier trucks to our roads is simply a recipe for disaster. Our bill would protect our infrastructure and improve safety by helping keep dangerously large and heavy tractor-trailer trucks off our roads.”

Jane Mathis of the Truck Safety Coalition, whose son and daughter-in-law were killed in a tractor trailer crash, said, “Everyday, I live with the fact that a big truck crashed into my child’s car and killed him and his new wife. David and Mary Kathryn had just embarked upon a new life together and it was taken from them. We don't need bigger trucks, we need safer trucks. If large trucking companies and their lobbyists have their way, American families will be the ones to pay.”

Bigger, heavier trucks would also weaken highway infrastructure. The Department of Transportation reports that a third of the nation’s bridges are already structurally deficient. One tractor trailer truck can cause as much pavement damage as 13,900 mini-vans. Large trucks also use more fuel and create more pollution.

“According to the EPA, transportation is the largest and fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rob McCulloch, Transportation Advocate for Environment America. “Truck freight represents the fastest growing mode of transportation pollution, producing more than 220 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Capping truck weight limits through the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act will be a crucial step in limiting this source of global warming pollution.”

Despite the risks of heavier trucks, some members of the trucking industry are pushing for laws that will allow heavier trucks. For example, Representative Michael Michaud is currently trying to amend the Surface Transportation Act of 2009 to allow for increases in truck size and weight.
If you oppose an increase in truck size and weight, let your legislators know. Tractor trailer trucks are already dangerous enough with current weight limits.

If you’ve been injured in a tractor trailer accident, call MLN Law at 404-531-9700 to schedule your free consultation.

Labels: truck accident, truck wreck, trucking

Back in April, the MLN Law blog brought you news of the controversy swirling around a tractor trailer truck crash in the town of La Cañada Flintridge, California. After the driver lost control on a steep incline, the truck ran away, crashing into a shopping center. The accident, described in horrifying detail in the LA Times, killed two, a father and daughter, and injured at least 12 more people.

Part of the controversy over the incident stemmed from the fact that a report revealed that California Transportation (CALTRANS) officials were aware of the runaway truck problem, but asked for “more time” to finish their investigation of the site before implementing a fix.

Months later, the fix has finally been implemented.

California Assembly Bill 1361 will prohibit commercial vehicles with three or more axles or weighing 9,000 pounds or more from driving on the segment of Angeles Crest Highway located between Interstate 210 in La Cañada Flintridge and Big Pines Highway in Los Angeles County. The law will go into effect as soon as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs it into law.

The bill was introduced by Assembly member Anthony Portantino (D) of La Canada Flintridge, the area where the crash occurred.

“AB 1361 has been a personal priority for me,” Assembly member Portantino said. “Local residents and commuters must be able to feel safe on our streets. It was inspiring to have so many people pull together and work with the legislature to pass this measure in the wake of the tragic accident last Spring.”

“The horrific scene of the crash where a father and his 12-year old daughter died will forever remain in the memories of those who witnessed it,” said California Senator Carol Liu, the bill’s coauthor. “The goal of AB 1361 is to make sure such a tragic incident never occurs again.”

The site of the accident is located in an area where trucks must travel on roads with grades as steep as 7%. According to a local blog, Pasadena Now, “in recent years, two trucks have lost control near a popular La Cañada Flintridge restaurant at the base of Route 2. In April 2005, a truck careened into a protective retaining wall, just feet from the restaurant, and in September 2008, a truck lost its brakes and smashed into seven cars in the restaurant’s parking lot.”

Unless you live in a hilly area, steep grades are not something you often think about, but for a truck driver, just navigating an 80,000 pound vehicle on a flat road can be a challenge. It’s all too easy for truck drivers to lose control on steep hillsides such as the one located in La Cañada Flintridge. Whether it acted far too late or not, the state of California acted correctly in banning large trucks from that steep hill and preventing who knows how many future accidents.

Have you or someone you know been the victim of an accident due to improper signage or other negligence by state or local government? Call MLN Law at (404) 531-9700 for more information about your options in this serious matter.

Labels: tractor trailer, truck safety, truck wreck