A change in federal law could mean trucks with double trailers, more than 80 feet in overall length will be driving on upstate New York roads and highways. Senator Chuck Schumer says that would mean a dangerous change in traffic that puts people at risk. On average 4000 people a year are dying from truck related crashes and Schumer worries that would only get worse.
“Route 20 which goes from one end of NYS to the other which has been used. I’ve been on road with hills, its often two lanes to have these trucks on there is a frightening thought. The larger trucks will increase the risks of accidents on the road, a study a multimodal transportation and infrastructure consortium found that the multi-trailer trucks 15.5% higher fatal crash rate than single trailers”
Now, current New York law prohibits any vehicles over 65 feet in total length and limits each trailer in a tandem set-up to 28 feet. Schumer is trying to block changes being proposed in a transportation, housing and urban development bill(THUD) to allow the longer tractor-trailers. In addition to safety concerns, he argues it won’t be good for roads and bridges.
NUMBER OF FATALITIES AND INJURIES FROM CRASHES INVOLVING LARGE TRUCKS
| Central New York | ||||
| County | Number of fatal crashes (2009 -2014) | Number of non-fatal crashes (2013 - 2014) | ||
| Cayuga | 6 | 61 | ||
| Cortland | 6 | 102 | ||
| Lewis | 3 | 26 | ||
| Madison | 6 | 64 | ||
| Oneida | 7 | 165 | ||
| Onondaga | 17 | 337 | ||
| Oswego | 5 | 128 | ||
| Total | 50 | 883 | ||
This data was collected from the National Highway and Safety Council of crashes involving large trucks.
