In March, Schoharie County resident and long-haul trucker Jason Rivenburg, 35, was brutally murdered at an abandoned South Carolina gas station used by truckers to rest. It highlights the question of safety at all rest areas and stops along our nation's highways.
Drivers often pass these areas without giving them a second glance, assuming they would be able to travel to their destinations without the need to stop. For truck drivers such as Rivenburg, who spend days on the road, these stops are a legal imperative, with regulations requiring truckers to rest for 10 hours after driving for 11 hours straight during a 24-hour period.
With Jason's Law, lawmakers in Washington say they hope to return safety to American rest areas and truck stops, which is sorely needed as evidenced by Rivenburg's death. The legislation aims to provide $100 million for rest-area improvements and for the construction of new truck-parking facilities throughout the country. The bill has strong state ties and support, with New York Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand seeking passage of the legislation in the U.S. Senate, and Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko, who represents New York's 21st District, which includes Schoharie County, pushing the bill in the House.
Some states, already facing budget belt-tightening, have begun to close rest areas because officials believe they're obsolete and unnecessary in an era when fast-food chains and gas stations dot most highways. Luckily for upstate New Yorkers, this belief is not shared by all. With many miles of highway stretching throughout the region with little more than exit signs and an occasional light, it's a welcome sight to see a sign indicating a rest area or truck stop, including those in Otsego and Delaware counties.
Jason's Law should be passed not only for the memory of Rivenburg and the senseless crime that took his life, which included the theft of $7 from his wallet, but also because rest areas really do save lives and protect drivers. According to National Highway Research Program estimates, the absence of rest areas increases shoulder-related accidents by 52 percent, because of parked vehicles on the side of the road. Even more important, reducing fatigue accounts for a 3.7 percent reduction in accident rates, which saves the U.S. government $148 million. When considering the bill's $100 million price tag, it seems more than fair to spend the money to shore up rest sites.
By improving the driving experiences and safety of truckers, the U.S. government would also be bettering the experiences and safety of all drivers who pass those dedicated truckers on the road, many who drive long hours and distances to support their families, as Rivenburg was doing for his wife and three boys.
