Traffic accidents and infrastructure damage are more likely to occur when trucks exceed the authorized mass restrictions. They also lead to unfair competition between different transport options and businesses. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure trucks adhere to weight restrictions. To improve overload screening and enforcement, new technologies are being developed.
With the help of weigh-in-motion (WIM) technologies, trucks can be weighed while moving through traffic with no interference with business. Recent improvements and implementation of WIM systems have made significant progress, which may help vehicles operate more safely and effectively.
Overloaded trucks continue to be a major factor in traffic accidents, says the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which analyzes statistics about vehicles and safety. This is because a truck that is overloaded is more difficult to control. A bigger vehicle requires more time to stop, and because there is less traction on cold or wet roads, they are also handled differently. Finally, because the truck is heavier than it should be, accidents are more likely to be severe or even fatal, and the severity of accidents is increasing.
The Impact of Truck Weight on Highways
Heavy trucks that are overloaded can also damage the roads significantly. As a result, incidents occur that do not even involve the trucks that damaged the roads, making them unsafe. Accident prevention laws are in place. However, they are often disregarded.
The number varies as high as 81 percent for various types of trucks, but on average, loaded tractor-trailers violate state weight limits by about 22%. The reason for this is that a five-axle tractor-trailer loaded to the Federal maximum of 80,000 pounds has the same effect on an interstate road as 9,600 cars. Additionally, pavement damage increases much more quickly as truck axle weights rise.
For instance, a 2,000-pound automobile axle weighs nine times as much as an 18,000-pound truck axle but causes 5,000 times more damage. Although excessive truck weight is a significant cause of roadway deterioration, at least 95% of the highways that get Federal funding do not have weight restrictions.
What Effects Does Trailer Weight Have On Operation?
In addition to increasing risks for other road users, deteriorating road safety, having severe effects on the durability of infrastructure (pavements and bridges), and undermining fair competition between transport modes and operators, overloaded trucks pose severe threats to road transport operations.
The Risk of Accidents
Compared to a truck that is loaded legally, an overloaded truck is more likely to get in an accident and suffer more severe repercussions. In the event of a collision, the heavier the vehicle, the higher its kinetic energy, causing greater impact forces and damage to other vehicles or the infrastructure. The sheer weight is not a problem, though, because trucks made for carrying huge loads, such as the so-called “high capacity vehicles,” can do it without incident. However, when a truck’s maximum allowable weight is exceeded, several negative outcomes could happen, including truck instability, braking failure, lack of motivation, and maneuverability.
Damaged Infrastructure
Overloaded vehicles pose a risk to infrastructure and road safety since they accelerate pavement wear, cracking, and rutting, which can lead to early pavement failure. Additionally, some damage to bridges is caused by heavy trucks. Trucks’ aggressiveness may considerably rise when they are overloaded. Extreme bridge loading situations are also controlled by very large trucks, either with unlawful overloads or anomalous loads (like cranes). Overloaded trucks have the potential to seriously damage or even destroy some weak (ancient) bridges with low carrying capacities.
Economic Impact of Overloaded Trucks on Roads
Overloaded trucks can also have negative economic effects. The competition for moving freight between different means of transportation (such as rail, waterborne, and road) and between different road transport businesses and operators is greatly distorted by overloading. A 5-axle articulated truck operating year-round at a 20 percent overload was thought to create an extra €25000 in benefits in France. Overloading also entails breaking tax laws, such as those governing axle taxes, vehicle registration costs, and toll fees on infrastructure.
Enforcing vehicle weight and dimension rules is thus important to reduce the number of overweight and overloaded trucks. As part of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), the development of sophisticated truckload monitoring systems, either on-board or on the road, offers significant potential and substitutes for conventional roadside enforcement by compliance officers.
The Advancement of Weigh-in-Motion (WIM)
The WIM (low speed) concept was created and put into practice for the reasons listed and to improve the effectiveness of the controls by partially automated weighing. The fundamental component of LS-WIM is the use of wheel or axle scales, which are often outfitted with load cells, the most precise technology, and set in concrete or sturdy asphalt platforms that are at least 30 to 40 meters long.
The software of the data gathering and processing system is built to precisely calculate the wheel or axle loads by analyzing the load cell signal while accounting for speed. These systems are set up in toll booths, weighing stations, exit gates, or any other controlled area. The operating speed typically falls between 5 and 15 km/h.
WIM in High Speed (HS-WIM)
High-speed WIM refers to the measurement of axle and vehicle loads while cars are moving through traffic at their regular speed using sensors placed in one or more lanes. With the help of HS-WIM, practically all trucks that cross a road section may be weighed, and statistics or individual readings can be recorded.
Before getting on the road, truck drivers must be aware of the total weight of their vehicle. The truck driver is in charge of making sure that the weight does not go above the legal limit in the state or states through which the truck will be passing. The truck’s weight is significant since it has a variety of effects on both the truck’s and other road users’ safety. According to statistics, overweight or overloaded trucks continue to be a major contributor to many road fatalities across the country.
If you were hurt in an accident involving a negligent truck driver, you need to reach out to a skilled truck accident attorney immediately. Your lawyer can help protect your legal rights, identify the liable parties, and pursue your deserved financial compensation.
