New Federal Legislation on Truck Weight Receiving Mixed Reaction
The Safe, Flexible, and Efficient Trucking Act (“SAFE Act”) is a proposed amendment to the highway bill now under consideration by the US Congress. This amendment would change current federal limits on the permissible weight of large trucks from the current limit of 80,000 lbs. up to 91,000 lbs., provided the truck has installed an additional sixth axle. The change in weight limits would be optional for states to adopt or reject for their own interstate highway systems, so that states could retain the current 80,000 lb. limit if they chose.
Supporters of the change state that available research shows the weight increase would improve the safety of large trucks. These advocates, largely from corporations with high transportation costs such as those shipping produce, dairy, and beer, argue that the sixth axle would decrease the stopping distance of these large trucks, even with the additional cargo weight. Advocates also tout the reduced fuel usage and carbon emissions, should the companies be permitted to put fewer and heavier trucks on the road. Rep. Reid Ribble, the congressperson responsible for introducing the amendment, states that the heavier trucks would not cause greater strain on bridges and other infrastructure, as the sixth axle would allow the heavier weight to be distributed over a greater number of wheels.
However, a study completed by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) is less optimistic about the safety of these heavier trucks. The study looked at the large truck safety data from states where a heavier, six-axle configuration is currently legal, and found that crash rates were significantly – up to 47% — higher among the heavier trucks. These larger trucks were also found to be more likely to have brake violations, and more of them, upon inspection. Ultimately, the DOT concluded that the safety of these larger vehicles could not be determined based on information currently available, making a change allowing thousands of heavier trucks carrying thousands more pounds in cargo seem unwise at present.
If you or a loved one have been hurt in a tractor trailer or big rig accident in New Jersey, contact knowledgeable truck accident attorneys Massood Law Group for a consultation on your claims, at 1-844-4MB-HURT.
