The possibility of larger trucks routinely appearing on the road has one Oregon police chief so concerned he went to Washington DC this month to lobby lawmakers on the issue.
Oakridge Police Chief Kevin Martin traveled on behalf of a group called the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks. The organization is concerned that an upcoming transportation bill in Congress will include a provision to allow longer and heavier trucks on the nation’s highways.
Martin said it’s a recipe for disaster. “I’m not an engineer, but if you add weight and length but you don’t upgrade the brakes and engine and transmission and that kind of stuff, then it’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said.
Martin says it’s especially a concern in Oakridge, which can be reached by one state highway. He says a major crash can effectively cut off the community for hours at a time.