When a person is on a Virginia roadway, they may see a variety of different types of vehicles. Each of these vehicles has the right to be on Virginia roadways, in most cases. However, the state of Virginia has enacted many regulations that control what types of vehicles can be on the roadways. These regulations help to keep individuals safe from traffic accidents.
In particular, there are many regulations about large commercial vehicles. These vehicles not only create challenges to local roadways, but they can also be dangerous. Vehicles of this nature are highly regulated in order to prevent serious truck accidents.
One way in which commercial motor vehicles are controlled in Virginia is by imposing a maximum weight limitation on these vehicles. According to Virginia laws, if a truck has only one axle, it cannot be any larger than 20,000 pounds. Semi-trailers with three axles, on the other hand, can be up to 60,000 pounds. Vehicles with five, six or more axles are capped at 80,000 pounds. Under Virginia laws, no vehicle with the gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds can be on Virginia’s roadways.
The vehicles length is used to determine how many pounds a vehicle can be. The number of axle is calculated between the first axle and the furthest rear axle. If truck companies or truck drivers choose to ignore rules about maximum truck weight on Virginia roadways, they can face penalties. These penalties are calculated based on the number of pounds overweight the vehicle is for its length. These penalties can be up to $.35 per pound over the weight limit in some situations.
Truck drivers that fail to follow basic safety rules, put everyone at risk. When truck accidents occur because truck drivers are ignoring safety rules, victims may be entitled to compensation. An attorney can help people understand their legal rights and give specific legal advice on how to move forward from a truck accident.