By Rhonda Robinson Taylor
September 30, 2029
WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Department of Vehicles and Roadways unveiled a new rule today that will prohibit the use of extra-large passenger vehicles, known informally as the “killer truck rule.”
“The United States remains the land of the free and the home of the brave, but we also believe in reasonable consumer protections,” said DVR Secretary Kate Gallego. “This rule imposing maximum size limits on passenger vehicles will keep communities safe, reduce wear and tear on the roads, and lead to lower vehicle costs for purchasers.”
DVR began its rule making earlier this year and received thousands of comments from people worried about neighborhood congestion and deadlier roadway accidents stemming from large personal vehicles. The recent deaths of two children hit by large pickup trucks in suburban neighborhoods also led multiple lawmakers to back the proposal.
As drafted, the rule will prohibit the sale of passenger vehicles weighing more than 4,250 pounds, which would dramatically scale back the number of large pickup trucks and some SUVs. Existing large passenger vehicles would have a five-year grace period before they will no longer be allowed on roadways.
Gallego added that the ongoing construction of a national high-speed rail network would likely shift consumer preferences away from larger vehicles that are more comfortable for long roadtrips.
Major automaker had no immediate comment. Since secession, two-thirds of large pickup truck sales in North America have been in the New Confederacy. Traffic deaths have also increased in the New Confederacy post-secession, partly owing to the repeal of distracted-driving laws.
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