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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2009
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Battle Over Big Rigs Pits Efficiency Against Safety

Measure would extended federal limits on big rigs

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(Newser) – Bigger is not only better—it’s also safer and greener, say trucking-industry advocates who would like to see limits on the size and weight of big rigs on interstate highways lifted. One tells USA Today bigger trucks are more fuel-efficient and minimize pollution. But if truckers are successful, one opponent says, Americans will “pay with their lives and their wallets.”

Current federal laws restrict 18-wheelers to 80,000 pounds and a maximum length of 53 feet on the interstates. Legislators, citing driver safety and road damage, want those rules extended to the entire national highway system. But trucking industry rep says bigger big rigs present “no safety concerns at all. They are just as safe as lighter trucks.”

A measure supported by highway safety advocates would extend weight and length limits to the entire National Highway System.
A measure supported by highway safety advocates would extend weight and length limits to the entire National Highway System.   (Shutter Stock)
A measure supported by highway safety advocates would extend weight and length limits to the entire National Highway System.
A measure supported by highway safety advocates would extend weight and length limits to the entire National Highway System.   (Shutter Stock)
A measure supported by highway safety advocates would extend weight and length limits to the entire National Highway System.
A measure supported by highway safety advocates would extend weight and length limits to the entire National Highway System.   (Shutter Stock)
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Eighty thousand is enough for anybody. If it gets much bigger, it's going to create an unsafe environment, and more deaths on the roads. - Lewie Pugh, truck driver

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4 comments
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Fondue
Jun 6, 09 9:05 AM CDT
I'd like to see some data on the heavier = more fuel efficient theory. It seems every time someone starts talking about efficiency the opposition says the vehicles would have to be "tin cans" and less safe somehow. Reply
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skeptik
Jun 6, 09 9:47 AM CDT
Our highways are already beat to death by the "big rigs" and even larger will mean more damage to roads & bridges. Why not invest some money into rail? Trains are much more efficient, especially for long hauls/cross country freight & would help reduce need for more & more highway/freeway construction & maybe make our roads last a little longer plus be a little safer for motorists. Reply
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Newser001
Jun 6, 09 11:34 AM CDT
We need to end the use of 'retread' truck tires in the US, which kill too many Americans (those tire remnants we see strewn across highways). When a compact, medium or even a SUV vehicle hits these, it kills. It also costs millions of dollars in body and tire damage for consumers. They're NOT allowed in the EU for the exact same reasons. Reply
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SBS
Jun 6, 09 11:51 AM CDT
I agree.
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