Edward M. Super - Comment

I work for the local police department in Lorain, Ohio. Recently we have been seeing a trend where vehicle enthusiasts have been modifying their vehicles by raising their bumper heights. Most of the vehicles involved are covered under the current laws that regulate bumper heights. There appears to be one class of vehicle that has been overlooked. These vehicles are one ton pick up trucks and larger SUVs. If a pick up truck or SUV has a Gross Vehicular Weight (GVW) of more than 10,000 pounds, it is not covered under the current laws. An example of this is a Dodge Ram 3500 4X4. This truck has a GVW of 12,600 pounds. Under the current law, this vehicle could be raised thirty six inches (36) from the manufacturer's specifications and still be street legal. I believe the consequences of a motor vehicle crash involving a vehicle modified in such a manner is obvious. The injuries suffered by passengers of a passenger car during the impact with such a vehicle would be devastating. Please consider addressing this class of vehicle in your legislation.