Attend tonight's hearing -- if you can't, submit written comments on-line (see next paragraph)!!  Tell the Governor to keep weight limits right where they are!!  Also, read on for recap of WV-CAG latest research on citations for overweight coal trucks.........

 

The Governor's Truck Safety Work Group will be wrapping up a series of public hearing tonight.  The final hearing will begin at 6pm at the Madison Civic Center in Madison.  If you haven't been able to attend the public hearing but would like to submit comments to the panel there's still time.  Log on to http://www.wvtrucktaskforce.com/Contacts.htm.  From here you can submit written comment on safety, economics, highways and bridges, and enforcement concerns.  Please submit your comments soon.  No deadline has been set but the panel may submit its recommendations to the legislature in a couple of weeks. 

 

New Research Released........

WV-CAG staff attended last night's meeting at Riverside High School and presented our most recent research project.  Using records from the Department of Transportation and Kanawha County Magistrate Court, WV-CAG reviewed citations issued to overweight vehicles in Kanawha County during the 2001 calendar year.  We found an alarming trend that coal haulers are given preferential treatment even though they violate the law more often and run at even heavier weights.  70% of the trucks cited were overloaded with coal.  These trucks accounted for 92% of all overweight trucks that received a reduced fine.  For a research summary visit our website and click on "Overweight Coal Trucks."  There you can also download the finding of a study we conducted during the legislative session (study should be on website by 6/12/02).  For this study we conducted a review of all overweight citations issued statewide between September 1, 2001 and February 5, 2002.