SR0233 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0233 LRB099 11495 GRL 32630 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is committed to protecting the safety of motorists on its roads and highways and to protecting taxpayers' investment in our highway infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Truck crashes are a serious, deadly, and costly problem to Illinois families, our State's health care system, and the economy; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, there were 10,397 crashes involving tractor-trailers in Illinois; fatalities resulting from tractor-trailer crashes increased by 13% from 2012 to 2013, and the number of fatal crashes involving tractor-trailers also increased by 16%; and

WHEREAS, From 2009 to 2013, there were 586 fatalities resulting from crashes involving large trucks; and

WHEREAS, Annual truck crash fatalities nationwide are equivalent to a major airplane crash every other week of the year; and

WHEREAS, In fatal 2-vehicle crashes between a large truck and a passenger motor vehicle, 96% of the fatalities were occupants of the passenger vehicle; and

WHEREAS, Driving a truck is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States; and

WHEREAS, An April 2014 survey found that 73% of Illinois residents oppose increasing the current federal truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds; and

WHEREAS, Increases to truck size and weight limits would have a tremendous impact on Illinois' infrastructure; Illinois has the third largest interstate system in the United States and the third largest bridge inventory in the United States, and more than 7,200 trucking establishments within Illinois use the extensive network of highways; and

WHEREAS, At present, nearly 16% of the bridges in Illinois are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete and 15% of the major roads are considered to be in poor condition; increasing the weight of a heavy truck by only l0% increases bridge damage by 33%; and

WHEREAS, Driving on roads in need of repair costs Illinois motorists $3.7 billion a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs, which amounts to nearly $450 per motorist; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we oppose an increase in current truck size and weight limits on all roads in the State of Illinois in order to ensure the safety of all Illinois motorists on our streets and highways; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we affirm our opposition to removing or weakening the federal freeze on Longer Combination Vehicles contained in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, which restricts the use of extra-long double and triple trailers trucks on Illinois highways because of the adverse impact on highway safety and infrastructure; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and the members of the Illinois congressional delegation.