Government Tries to Nail Down Things That Stick Out From Trucks
The government is eyeballing the dimensions of the hardware that protrudes from tractors and trailers — mirrors, lights and aerodynamic devices — in the context of vehicle length, width and height regulations.
For more than 10 years, FHWA has been studying the envelope of space around the basic tractor-trailer and how much room to allow for the things that stick out from the body of the vehicle.
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In preparing new regulations, the Federal Highway Administration is discussing with industry how far these devices may safely extend from the body of a commercial motor vehicle. The discussion may also set the groundwork for the use of future technology on a truck’s exterior.
Although it is no longer involved in operational issues of trucking safety — those duties were transferred to the new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — FHWA still regulates the dimensions and components of equipment now on the road. The National Highway Traffic Administration sets safety standards for new trucking and automotive equipment.
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