Why the “Slow Roll” Is Happening in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS–The “Slow Roll” of semi trucks  that are expected to interrupt traffic Thursday on I-465, are part of a protest of electronic logging devices that the United States Transportation Alliance says are a violation of Constitutional rights.

Trucks will begin lining up in the early morning hours on the southside of Indianapolis. The slow roll of 45 mph is expected to start around 11 a.m.

Brian Brase, with the USTA, said the device  amounts to a violation of the 4th Amendment right to privacy, and the 5th Amendment right to not self incriminate. It electronically logs a trucker’s hours and activities, he said. Braser said he believes it’s also possible the device could give police or hackers access to driver information through the Bluetooth connection to the driver’s phone.

Amber Furry, one of the protest organizers, said the device, in limiting the number of hours that a trucker can drive, forces them to go faster to their destinations, to skip breaks, and therefore makes them a danger to other drivers.

“The hours of service is a big issue. That electronic logging device is a big issue,” she said. “We’re not trying to do it to cause an issue or a problem or impede traffic or whatever, we’re trying to fix things to where they’re safer for the public, as well.”

Furry said even though they’ll be going 10 mph under the posted speed limit, they won’t be breaking any laws. She said the state police are aware of the protest and that the truckers will be communicating via their CBs

Some truckers take issue with the protest. Gary, whose been a trucker for more than 20 years, told Hammer and Nigel, on WIBC, that he does not believe in the device’s relevance, but he still wouldn’t protest that way.

“I’m really sorry it’s happening because 95 percent of the motoring public doesn’t know what we’re protesting, you know. They should have protested before this went into effect,” he said.

PHOTO: Chris Davis:Emmis