“The highways of Arkansas will become much more dangerous and deadly for state motorists if a federal proposal currently under consideration becomes law.
The proposed federal legislation would increase the limits for tractor-trailer weights and sizes, creating unnecessary additional safety risks for the traveling public. From a safety perspective, the U.S. Department of Transportation found in their 2016 study that heavier trucks had higher crash rates.
This proposal is being marketed in the form of a 10-year “pilot project” that would allow all states, including Arkansas, to raise semi-truck weights from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds on interstates in the name of research.
In other words, the government wants to record the crash statistics and the resulting tragedies, ultimately making all of us guinea pigs for research.”