Keep heavier trucks off Pennsylvania roads
Bigger trucks cause more damage to roads and bridges, and they threaten the safety of the public.
Lawmakers in Harrisburg and Washington are talking a lot these days about infrastructure and how to pay for the repair of our crumbling roads and bridges.
As the former chief of police of West Chester, I know firsthand that when government needs more revenue, it often is siphoned from the budgets of frontline agencies, including police departments and other law enforcement agencies. This means less money that goes to protect our citizens in the commonwealth.
When I see proposals that will directly impact law enforcement’s ability to protect the public, I feel a necessity to speak out.
One such issue involves proposals at the state capital and in Washington that would permit heavier trucks on our roads. Not only do bigger trucks cause more damage to roads and bridges, but they threaten the safety of the public.
Currently, the Pennsylvania Legislature is debating numerous bills that would allow exemptions for certain trucks to increase their weight by as much as 7.5 tons — going from 80,000 pounds to 95,000 pounds. Similar proposals are under consideration in the nation’s capital.
Law enforcement is responsible for making sure people follow the laws that govern large commercial vehicles. Unfortunately, we have seen far too many tragic crashes involving these big trucks at their current weights. Our firsthand experience should be enough to give pause to anyone who is considering supporting weight increases.
If that is not enough for some, look no further than PennDOT. Last year the transportation agency conducted an impact study on the impacts of heavier weight exemptions for trucks.
The PennDOT study, which was released in August, found many problems with these “carve-outs”, including shifting the heaviest trucks off the interstates and onto our local roads as well as accelerating the deterioration of infrastructure.
One issue that was not looked at in the study was safety. The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association submitted comments, emphasizing that safety should have been included in the final report. PennDOT acknowledges that safety was beyond their scope of work.
No bigger truck study should be conducted without safety being a key component and the Pennsylvania Legislature should not pass heavier truck bills until this key issue is examined.
Why do I believe there are significant safety issues for heavier trucks?
Besides personal experience, the United States Department of Transportation in its 2016 Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Limits Study Final Report to Congress recommended that lawmakers not increase the weight or length of trucks on the road.
Regarding heavier trucks, USDOT found higher crash rates and higher out-of-service violations, including 18% higher brake violation rates, as compared with the traditional 80,000-pound trucks on the road today.
This is especially important because a 2016 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that trucks with any out-ofservice violation are 362% more likely to be involved in a crash.
As the state Legislature and Congress debate allowing heavier trucks, lawmakers should take a step back and consider the ramifications. USDOT recommended against bigger trucks and found serious safety concerns. PennDOT identified infrastructure concerns and did not even look at safety. Finally, law enforcement’s real-world experience says heavier trucks are not safe.
I ask legislators to please keep the safety of the citizens of the commonwealth first and foremost and oppose heavier trucks. Public safety is their first priority as elected officials.