This week (May 15 - 19, 2017) is national Infrastructure Week.
Via the United States Chamber of Commerce, "...[This] Week is a national week of education and advocacy that brings together American businesses, workers, elected leaders, and everyday citizens around one message: It’s #TimeToBuild. From May 15-19, leaders and citizens around America will highlight state of our nation’s ... – roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports, water and sewer systems, the energy grid, and more – and encourage policymakers to invest in the projects, technologies, and policies necessary to make America competitive, prosperous, and safe."
Below are four reasons why infrastructure matters to you, the professional truck driver.
1. Our roads are failing.
The Infrastructure Report Card states that, "One out of every five miles of highway pavement is in poor condition and our roads have a significant and increasing backlog of rehabilitation needs."
2. Bridges are deteriorating.
The U.S. has 614,387 bridges, almost four in 10 of which are 50 years or older. 56,007 — 9.1% — of the nation’s bridges were structurally deficient in 2016, and on average there were 188 million trips across a structurally deficient bridge each day.
3. Different states have different road conditions.
Before you take your next load, you better know the conditions of the infrastructure where you are traveling. Take Missouri for example. The Show-Me state is below average with a C- grade.
4. Your safety matters.
If our roads and bridges are unsafe, that means there is a higher chance for you to get hurt. In 2015, more than 35,092 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. You should not be a statistic.
Infractructure is so much more than roads and bridges. Get those facts and more at InfrastructureReportCard.org.
Know before you go.
