“Every year more than 4,000 people are slaughtered on our nation's highways while corporate trucking and shipping interests continue to push Congress for heavier trucks,” said Joan Claybrook, chair, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH). “Heavy trucks are deadly, dangerous and destructive. Families are paying with their lives and with their wallets.”

The safety advocates pushed to build support for the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA), sponsored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. James McGovern (D-MA). The bill would freeze current federal truck size and weight limits, close existing loopholes that allow operation of overweight trucks, and establish an enforcement program to ensure accountability.