A bill that has been strongly opposed by New York truck accident attorneys has made its way back to Congress. The bill HR 763 also known as the Safe and Efficient transportation, will allow states to increase the truck weight limits on federal interstates.
The bill was introduced in February by Rep. Mike Michaud Democrat-Maine and gives states the option to increase truck weight limits to 97,000 pounds. The bill has been aggressively promoted by the Coalition for Transportation Productivity. According to the Coalition, the bill would greatly increase the efficiency of the American trucking industry.
The Coalition for Transportation Productivity insists that the current 80,000-pound weight limit on the nation’s interstate network places the American industry at a severe disadvantage when compared to countries like Mexico and Canada that have higher weight limits on their highways. Besides, supporters of the bill argue that in the future, the American trucking industry will be under tremendous pressure to deliver more tonnage, and this will lead to more numbers of trucks on the highways, possibly increasing the risk of accidents.
This is the third time that the bill is making its way to Congress, and this time around, New York truck accident lawyers expect that there will be strong support, for the bill not just from the trucking industry, but also from companies that stand to profit greatly when trailers are stuffed to the max. Heavy trucks however simply mean greater force in the event of an accident.That’s the primary reason why the bill has been strongly opposed by trucking safety groups and families of trucking accident victims.