Vermont bill would fine GPS providers for trucks stuck on Smugglers’ Notch

Vermont lawmakers want to fine GPS navigation providers for trucks that get stuck on Smugglers’ Notch.

Sens. Thomas Chittenden, Andrew Perchlik and Richard Westman recently introduced S.77. The bill extends fines of trucks getting stuck on Smugglers’ Notch to the GPS providers that truckers use.

If signed into law, a GPS provider could get fined for guiding a truck into Smugglers’ Notch. Specifically, “if an operator of a vehicle that violates (the truck ban) was using a GPS navigation system that did not provide explicit notice of the prohibitions … then the GPS navigation provider of the GPS navigation system shall be subject to a civil penalty of $2,000.00.”

A section of state Route 108 in Cambridge, Vt., Smugglers’ Notch is a winding road with several sharp turns. Tractor-trailers are unable to complete some of the turns, leaving them stuck in place until help arrives.

The problem appears to be with free navigation apps like Google Maps. GPS navigation systems specific to the trucking industry warn truckers not to travel on Smugglers’ Notch. However, no such warning exists on phone apps and other free GPS software. Lawmakers are working with Google to correct that problem.

Currently, truckers who get stuck at Smugglers’ Notch will get fined $1,000.

That fine is doubled if it causes traffic to back up.

Last year, five trucks got stuck at Smugglers’ Notch. The same number of trucks were stuck in 2021. Prior to 2021, the average was eight stuck trucks, getting as high as 11 trucks. Over the past five years, there has been a 41% drop in trucks trying to traverse that section of state Route 108.

In November, the Vermont Transportation Agency reached out to the community to find a way to get trucks off Smugglers’ Notch. Ideas being thrown around include a difficult-to-maneuver island at the head of the road or using “intelligent transportation systems sensors.” Someone even suggested a 13-foot gateway arch that would prevent tractor-trailers from entering the area.

In 2016, Land Line spoke with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles’ Enforcement and Safety Division about the issue. Essentially, nothing was working at the time, including plenty of signs.

“It seems like no matter how much education we try to do or reach out or signage, we’re having an issue specific to tractor-trailers,” Col. Jake Elovirta said. LL