Smaller trucks, safer roads
Thursday's No. 2 editorial.
When it comes to highway safety, most would rather have legislators err on the side of caution than take a laissez-faire approach to the road.
But the latter style seems to be more prevalent in the N.C. Senate this year. Tuesday, state senators voted to relax restrictions on the trucks traveling our roads.
They passed a bill that would change the length limit on tractor-trailers from 48 to 53 feet.
They also eased restrictions on boat hauling and on the sizes of logging and agricultural trucks.
Granted, some of the state’s regulations needed updating.
A ban on hauling boats on holidays and Sundays is outmoded and needs to be changed.
But opening up 90 percent of the state’s roadways (all roads marked N.C. or U.S.) to the longer tractor-trailers isn’t something that would benefit the state.
The longer trucks already are allowed to travel on interstates, primary U.S. highways and for three miles on roads connecting to them.
They have wisely been prohibited from most smaller roads, which are more difficult for them to negotiate and which can be more easily damaged by truck weight.
But if the House follows the Senate’s lead, those prohibitions would largely end.
Want those big tractor-trailers off that nearby state highway? Neither local governments nor the state Department of Transportation could ban them.
Only a legislative committee could make such a call under this bill.
Instead of kowtowing to the trucking industry, legislators should listen to the State Highway Patrol. It has spoken out about the bigger trucks’ hazards, especially on mountain roads.
Legislators also should listen to those who elected them.
A recent telephone survey in the state found that only 15 percent favored the proposed length change.
The state House needs to put the brakes on this bill.
Comments (1)
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N.C. lawmakers are attempting to make some common-sense policy changes that balance public safety with economic and environmental interests. Freight demand will only continue to rise as our state grows. So, how do we safely become more efficient and productive – with traffic congestion, air quality and the cost of doing business here all in mind?
The best regulatory policies will balance safety with the need to reduce the number of miles traveled and vehicles required. They will also provide industry-standard trucks access to rural parts of our state that are struggling economically and desperate for jobs and commerce to boost their communities.
Businesses need some sensible flexibility on truck size and weight to ensure that intrastate transportation measures up to our neighboring states by meeting common industry standards and expectations. Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia all have less restrictive length and weight regulations, allowing the 53-foot trucks proposed in the legislation referenced.
Just as trucking is an elemental gear in our state’s economic engine, boating is a large part of living and tourism in North Carolina. Additionally, boat building is a growing part of our crucial manufacturing sector (there are about 100 boat manufacturers in our state). Yet current regulations on boat hauling run counter to our economic development efforts to recruit more boat builders from other states. And they negatively impact our growing tourism industry, which poured $16.5 billion into N.C. last year.
Senate Bill 1695 aims to ensure competitive economic development policies that simultaneously promote a cleaner, healthier environment and maintain public safety. Included in the current version of the bill is a clear process whereby N.C. DOT can apply restrictions to roads that are too narrow or curvy for larger, heavier loads.
State legislators deserve credit for giving this issue attention and balancing concerns about safety with the need to sustain a thriving economy, good jobs and healthy environment. The N.C. Senate has shown unanimous support for modernizing these outdated regulations. The North Carolina Chamber encourages the House to do the same.
Lew Ebert,
President and CEO
North Carolina Chamber
Raleigh, NC
Posted on June 27, 2008 12:40 PM