Monster trucks could come to Virginia’s highways if some lawmakers get their way.
These are not the fun kind of monster trucks that intentionally crush cars, motor homes and other vehicles for the entertainment of fans who crowd into arenas to see them. These would be 18-wheeler trucks rolling down ordinary highways with loads of 91,000 pounds and perhaps more.
Opponents argue that the heavier trucks will inflict more damage to roads and bridges whose maintenance in the state and nationwide has already been neglected. They also say the trucks are more dangerous to surrounding traffic.
“The laws of physics do not change,” said Shane Reese, a spokesman for the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT). “Heavier trucks at higher speeds means increased crash severity.”