Sen. Charles Schumer is seeking to block a portion of proposed legislation that would allow twin 33-foot trucks on major Long Island highways, saying the provision could result in more dangerous roadways and frequent accidents.
“It’s time to pull the emergency brake on this dangerous provision allowing trucks the size of an eight-story building on our roads, like the Long Island Expressway,” Schumer said during a news conference outside National Grid’s Williston Park facility Monday.
The proposed law would extend the current 28-foot trailer maximum, and Schumer said the 33-foot twin trucks would likely replace 54-foot single trucks.
Though New York has a ban on such trucks along most roadways, Schumer said the proposed legislation would override the state law.
“The fact of the matter is, these longer, double-hitched tractor-trailers are a tremendous road safety risk to people and infrastructure alike: they take longer to stop, they have wider turning radiuses and they place a greater strain on our roads and bridges which are already in need of repair,” he said. “The marginal increase in shipping efficiency does not outweigh the tremendous safety risks of these larger trucks on our roadways, and I will be doing everything in my power to fight this provision from ever becoming law.”
Deaths from truck crashes have increased 17 percent nationwide in the last four years, according to the non-profit Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. Injuries have increased 28 percent in that same span.
In New York, there were 620 fatal crashes involving large trucks from 2009-14, 78 of which took place on Long Island, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
There were 1,194 non-fatal crashes with large trucks on Long Island in 2013-14, according to the agency.
