20-Year Backroom Deal Cut by Congress Exempting Maine and Vermont from Federal 80,000 lb. Truck Weight Limit, according to Truck Safety Coalition

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the fact that more people were needlessly killed and injured in the one-year pilot program in 2010, Senator Collins (R-ME) and Senator Leahy (D-VT) made it their priority to include a special interest exemption for their states that will allow 100,000 lb. trucks on Maine and Vermont Interstates.  This exemption, which changes federal policy, was slipped into an appropriations bill, HR 2112, without any public participation, congressional hearing, or the results of a U.S. Department of Transportation review of the one-year pilot program.  This exemption was adopted before the DOT released an overdue 6-month report and a one-year report on the results of the one-year exemption as required by Congress. The bill is expected to be voted on this week.

Daphne Izer of Lisbon, Maine and founder of Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.) after her son Jeff and three of his friends were killed in a truck crash, responded, "If this bill gets passed with the 20-year exemption, Congress will be sending a clear message that deal cutting for Members' pet projects continues to reign supreme even at the expense of the lives of innocent motorists.  The facts are clear – during the one-year pilot project in 2010, Maine experienced a 43% increase in fatalities with 6-axle trucks and Vermont's fatal large truck crash rate tripled.  I shudder to think about the needless deaths and injuries that will be a direct result of this political horse trading."

Julie Magnan of South Burlington, Vermont, Truck Crash Survivor and TSC Vermont Volunteer Coordinator stated, "When pushing for the one-year exemption, the trucking industry and elected officials promised it would take heavier trucks off our local roads and also that there would be fewer trucks.  Promises broken and it cost us lives and money.  The Vermont DMV tracked the change in permits for 99,000 lb 6-axle trucks and they increased from 1,500 in 2009 to over 3,000 in 2010 during the pilot. Moreover, since the decrease in VMT (vehicle miles traveled) on the non-Interstates was only 1.5%, the pilot may have provided only negligible relief to some communities that complained of heavy trucks using their local thoroughfares, passing close to schools and town centers.*  Undeterred by facts and broken promises, Congress is poised to pass a 20-year exemption."

"This cross-town hypocrisy of DOT sitting on Congressionally-mandated reports while Congress votes to keep a dangerous and deadly pilot program for 20 more years is completely irresponsible.  They are playing games that will result in even more deaths and injuries, more infrastructure destruction and more trucking industry subsidies.  The information we were able to obtain from FOIA requests show that more people were killed during the one-year exemption.  How is it even remotely acceptable to allow unsafe practices to continue for another 20 years?  If this was an aviation safety problem, Congress would shut it down immediately.  There are two different safety standards for American families," stated Joan Claybrook, Chair of Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways.

"Not only is there a 20-year exemption but there are no reporting or safety analysis requirements.  And, if Maine or Vermont decides to increase their state weight limits, the limit on the Interstates also goes up.  If this passes Congress will be writing a blank check for truck weights," stated John Lannen, Executive Director, TSC.  "Now more than ever we need Congress to pass SHIPA (Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act, S876/HR1574) to retain truck weight limits at their current levels.  If this 20-year exemption goes through, there is nothing stopping the rest of the states from knocking on Congress's proverbial door asking for theirs," continued Lannen.    

Every year on average, approximately 4,000 people are killed and 100,000 more sustain injuries in truck-involved crashes at a cost of $40 billion. In two-vehicle crashes, between a large truck and a passenger vehicle, 97 percent of the deaths were occupants of the passenger vehicle. Bigger, heavier trucks take longer to stop, are more prone to roll over, and accelerate bridge and road destruction.  *("Vermont Truck Interstate Pilot Study- Report to Congress (State of Vermont Version for Review) – Summary Report (Draft)" prepared for FHWA by Cambridge Systematics, Inc.)  For more information, www.trucksafety.org.

SOURCE Truck Safety Coalition