Colorado to start fining ‘Rolling coal’ vehiclesTop Stories

May 23, 2017 05:31
Colorado to start fining ‘Rolling coal’ vehicles

Governor John Hickenlooper is all set to sign a bill that will impose a fine on all the “coal-rollers” who use modified diesel trucks to smoke out unwitting bystanders.

But what is ‘Coal rolling’?

Coal rolling has roots in diesel truck pulls. Drivers modify their diesel engines to pull trailers loaded with weight.

In past few years, people are modifying their trucks with switches or other fuel or computer modifications that allow more fuel into the vehicle’s engine, which creates more diesel exhaust.

The thick clouds of black smoke are evident to those who have seen them, as they are much larger and thicker than a typical diesel exhaust.

Even some online retailers have started selling kits that easily modify their trucks. Many environmental activists say that the fad is polluting the atmosphere, and others who have been choked by the excess exhaust say it’s simply a nuisance.

Gov. Hickenlooper said that he plans to sign Senate Bill 278 that would get rid of the cruel practice.

The SB 278 is the first bill that has passed in Colorado after several attempts.

House Bill 1102, which was similar to SB 278, but died in the Senate earlier in the session.

In the 2016 session, Larmier Country Democrat Representative, Joann Ginal introduced a bill that would have hit people caught ‘rolling coal’ with a fine of $35 and points against their license, but it died before reaching the governor’s desk.

The SB 278 is Ginal’s final attempt this session that succeeded. She and Senator Don Coram, who is a southwest Colorado Republican, cosponsored this bill after the HB 1102 failed.

The bill calls for a $100 fine for anyone who is caught ‘rolling coal’ in a vehicle under 14,000 pounds. The bill carries exclusions for commercial vehicles and carriers, agricultural vehicles.

Cyclists and police were among those who have voiced concerns about being hit by “coal rollers.”

Fort Collins Police Department said that in recent years the number of complaints about coal rolling have increased. The New York Times reported that Colorado had seen a 5% increase in complaints in 2016.

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