New Law Allows Heavier Trucks in Florida
Thursday, July 1, 2010
By: Tom Parkinson

July 1, 2010 - One of the new laws going into effect today, the first day of July, will allow larger trucks on Florida roads. Opponents say the heavier trucks will endanger motorists. But the trucking industry backs the law saying the real choice is between bigger trucks or more trucks on the highways.

The new law will allow trucks to weigh as much as 88,000 pounds. The current limit in Florida is 80,000.
A study from the US Department of Transportation shows adding 8000 pounds of weight makes a truck more difficult to control.

Karen Morgan, with AAA Auto Club South says bigger trucks are much more dangerous.
“Large trucks make up 4 percent of all registered vehicle but they’re involved in 11 percent of all fatal crashes,” Morgan says “that’s a big concern for triple-A when we’re putting bigger trucks on the road.”

But, the trucking industry says traffic congestion is a more serious safety problem. The number of vehicles on the road is expected to double over the next 25 years and, the industry says, higher truck weights mean fewer trucks to haul the same amount of freight.

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