After fatalities, Illinois State Police crack down on overweight commercial vehicles
A number of fatal accidents has led police in Illinois to take a closer look at how many overweight vehicles are being operated on the state’s roadways. According to reports, a recent detail conducted on October 11th revealed more than a few commercial vehicles are traveling with loads heavier than what is allowed. In addition to causing increased stresses for the roads on which they travel, overweight vehicles pose a danger for all motorists. As explained in Chris Daly’s article “Dangers of Overweight Vehicles,” the excess kinetics energy that results when a vehicle is overweight can lead to disintegrated brake pads or expanded brake drums… Perhaps these factors played into some of the 40 commercial vehicle crashes that have already taken place in the state of Illinois during 2011. Police plan to enforce weight regulations closely, with an end aim at increasing motorist safety and pavement quality.
