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House approves rules to restrict loose aggregate on trucks after safety debate
Summary
Senate Bill 14, which requires certain truck loads of aggregate to be covered, treated or inspected before highway entry to reduce windshield damage and roadside hazards, passed the House after testimony citing an $18 million annual cost to policyholders. Vote: 66–2.
The Utah House passed Senate Bill 14 on Feb. 8, 1996, a measure aimed at reducing highway hazards from loose material falling from trucks and other vehicles.
Sponsors said the bill addresses a longstanding public-safety issue: broken windshields and debris on highways. During floor debate a committee witness relayed an insurance-industry estimate that aggregate-related claims cost more than $18,000,000 annually. Supporters argued the bill gives law enforcement a clearer standard and requires carriers to cover or chemically treat loads and to remove loose material from vehicle frames before entering highways.
Several representatives expressed concerns about compliance costs for carriers, the durability of tarps on scrap-metal loads, and distinguishing culpable carriers from drivers who pick up gravel on roadways. Representative McLean Mortimer relayed industry concerns that covering and un-covering loads imposes time and expense on haulers, and cited carriers that replace windshields for identified claims. Sponsors said the bill included exemptions and technical language intended to make the rule workable and to provide the Highway Patrol a practical enforcement standard.
The House voted to pass SB14 66–2 and returned it to the Senate. Supporters described the bill as a safety measure that could reduce insurance claims and highway risks; opponents asked for careful enforcement and attention to operational burdens on transporters.
Next steps: With House passage, SB14 returns to the Senate for consideration and, if enacted, agencies will need to adopt procedures for enforcement and clarify exemptions for particular load types.
