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“Congress is contemplating increasing truck weights to 91,000 pounds from the current national standard of 80,000 pounds. As mayor of Kentwood and a professional engineer, I am deeply concerned about the surge in heavier trucks that would likely reduce the service life of the country’s already crumbling infrastructure if proposed legislation like H.R. 3372 passes.” “To address these concerns, the state and federal government must invest in rigorous testing protocols for both concrete and asphalt pavements and ensure the safety…

“Proposed legislation would create a “pilot project” to allow trucks to operate at 91,000 pounds, an increase of 5.5 tons. Increasing truck weights will make these already dangerous vehicles even more dangerous for all of us. It’s just common sense that bigger trucks carry extra risk on the road and are likely to cause more crashes.” “We do not need to raise the weights to see the danger these vehicles are having on our roads. There are safer methods of…

“Federal lawmakers are attempting to impose massively larger trucks on Georgia roads following similar attempts last year by state lawmakers….Allowing any weight increase on tractor-trailers would be a step in the wrong direction, especially considering GDOT is taking steps towards creating a “truck-only” lane to provide a safety benefit by eliminating the interaction between passenger vehicles and commercial trucks. These heavier trucks would not only be traveling on interstates – they would be traveling in town on local roads to…

“Often our elected officials make decisions with limited information and are unaware of the impact their decisions will have on the communities they represent. It is important for our delegation in Washington to hear first-hand the issues that local engineers are experiencing as it pertains to infrastructure today and how legislation increasing truck size or weight would negatively impact infrastructure in the future,” said Brull. “There are countless reasons to reject legislation allowing heavier trucks on our roads, but the…

“According to reports from the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks, law enforcement leaders from across the country joined the organization on Capitol Hill to discuss oppositions to legislation that could allow for bigger trucks to be permitted on the roadways with other motorists to haul larger quantities of cargo. The coalition released a statement that the law enforcement officials met with members of Congress and their staff to voice opposition to proposals that could increase truck size and weight. As a…

“In my experience analyzing fatal crashes, bigger trucks would be a disaster for public safety,” said Bodenheimer. “It’s simple physics. More weight means more force, turning what could have been a fender bender into a fatal crash”. “These two bills are bad news for motorist safety, and they are bad news for law enforcement as well.” Bodenheimer continued. “With explosive population growth and even more tourists on our roads in Central Florida, having Congress add more dangerous, heavier trucks to…

For Missouri, FARS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System — considered the most complete and accurate crash dataset — shows a total of 140 fatalities in crashes involving large trucks in the state for 2021, the most recent year with complete data available. That represents an increase of nearly 18% compared to the previous year. For Kansas, the crash database shows that Kansas had 79 fatalities in 2021, up from 73 in 2020, an 8% increase.…

“New products come to the market regularly, and consumers have come to expect significant testing and safeguards, especially for products that can affect public safety. This is why law enforcement nationwide is concerned with legislation under consideration in Congress that would allow bigger trucks on our roads. Some bills would dramatically increase the allowable weight of semi-trailer trucks that have already been approved by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. And there continues to be talk of allowing even longer…

One proposal would create a 10-year “pilot project” allowing 91,000-pound trucks — five and a half tons heavier than today’s limits. The goal: to see how many of these trucks are involved in crashes and to report the number of injuries and deaths. The usual years of data analysis and testing? Not for these 91,000-pound behemoths. The goal is to skip the typical due diligence and put them on roads immediately across America. Motorists become the guinea pigs in this…

“In my experience analyzing fatal crashes, bigger trucks would be a disaster for public safety,” Vandalia Police Chief Kurt Althouse said. “It’s simple physics. More weight means more force, turning what could have been a fender bender into a fatal crash”. Althouse said truck crashes are at a “crisis level” in Ohio and recent data shows 2021 to be the worst year in recent history.   Read More + Watch the video here +     …