by Ashley Flitter

Created on: November 08, 2010

Several articles have surfaced in the last few months that raise the question of whether or not semi tractor-trailers should have their own driving lanes on America’s highways. Many of those who write these articles feel as though if semi-trucks had their own driving lanes the majority of the fatal crashes involving semis would not have happened. Is requesting that truck drivers have their own lanes an unreasonable thing to ask? This article will address the pros and cons of having separate lanes for semi-trucks so that you can make the decision for yourself.

Pros

Separate driving lanes for truckers would likely cut down on the number of fatal crashes between semi tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles.

If semi trucks were not mixed in with passenger vehicles on major highways it is likely that the both the number of and length of traffic jams would decrease.

With separate driving lanes, semi-trucks would be able to travel cross-country much faster than they currently can, which would decrease shipping costs for numerous companies. This in turn would decrease the cost of good for consumers including items such as food and electronics.

With less starting and stopping, semi-trucks would use less fuel, thus reducing emissions and cutting down on the cost of fuel. This again would reduce the cost of goods for consumers.

Cons

Creating separate driving lanes for trucks would carry a heavy price tag. This cost would either have to come out of each state’s pocket or from federal funds, which many would argue need to go to other projects.

No studies have been done to determine if separate lanes would actually cut down on fatal crashes. A pilot program, which would also have high costs, would have to be conducted in one state before it could be implemented nationwide.

Dependent on the number of trucks and the number of lanes available to them, transportation time could increase in certain areas on the country, which would increase product costs for consumers.

These are the main arguments for and against creating trucks-only driving lanes on U.S. highways. Whether or not you are for or against this idea, it is clear that further research is needed in order to make an educated decision. There are several different ways that further research can be done on this topic. One method would be to conduct a pilot program one one highway in the U.S. The pilot program could be funded by the federal government in order to conduct the test for possible nationwide implementation. Another method would be to take already existing transportation data with regards to trucks and costs, traffic, and accidents and to analyze it in order to see what the biggest cause of crashes are in conjunction with the cost and traffic data.

For more information on this issue visit http://www.truckinfo.net

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