093_SR0168
LRB093 07242 DRH 07400 r
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, the State of Illinois is committed to protecting
3 the safety of motorists on Illinois highways and protecting
4 taxpayers' investment in our highway infrastructure; and
5 WHEREAS, the federal government by law has, since 1991,
6 prohibited the introduction of triple trailers, trucks with
7 weights greater than 80,000 pounds, and trailers longer than
8 53 feet on the interstate highway system; and
9 WHEREAS, a recent U.S. Department of Transportation study
10 found that (1) double and triple trailer trucks are at least
11 11% more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than a
12 single trailer truck, and (2) nationwide use of these trucks
13 would result in $53 billion in bridge construction costs and
14 an additional $266 billion in congestion costs; and
15 WHEREAS, there are attempts to convince the congress of
16 the United States to permit longer and heavier trucks; and
17 WHEREAS, heavy trucks are responsible for a
18 disproportionate amount of pavement damage; according to the
19 American Association of State Highway and Transportation
20 Officials (AASHTO), one 80,000 pound five-axle truck does as
21 much pavement damage as 9,600 cars; a 100,000 pound five-axle
22 truck would do as much damage as 27,000 cars; and
23 WHEREAS, each introduction of longer and heavier trucks
24 in American history has resulted in a substantial increase in
25 the number of trucks on the road because goods previously
26 shipped by more environmentally friendly methods -- waterways
27 and rail -- are placed on trucks instead; thus allowing
28 longer, heavier trucks will increase congestions; and
29 WHEREAS, heavier trucks will take more time to stop, thus
30 increasing their potential for accidents; therefore be it
-2- LRB093 07242 DRH 07400 r
1 RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
2 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support
3 maintaining the current federal truck size and weight
4 limitations and oppose proposals to experiment with longer
5 and heavier trucks on public highways; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
7 delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate,
8 the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each
9 member of the Illinois congressional delegation.