Sandra Jones Staff reporter

July 23, 2009
Ruther Glen, VA.—
More criticism of Governor Tim Kaine's decision to close some Virginia Rest Stops. It's the buzz among truckers who practically live on Virginia highways. They say it could have deadly consequences, putting money ahead of lives. "I'm not going to drive my truck down the road weaving all over the road I'm not going to do it." Dave Noble says he'll bite the bullet and take the ticket. Noble says "I'm going to pull over the side of the road if they want to give me a ticket they can go ahead. I'm going to do it. I'm not going to kill somebody. I'm not going to do it." He's not alone. Other truckers at the Petro truck stop in Caroline county tell CBS 6 it will force them to either drive tired or pull over on the side of the highway.

WIth so many cars on the interstate, they wonder why they're not more places for them to rest. "We ain't got no where to pull over and sleep and everything...I mean what are we going to do...it's more accidents. I mean it's just ain't safe," says Derrick Busby. Busby drives his big rig 10 hours at a time. But if he has to rest, VDOT says you can't stop here. And Busby says that stinks. "It's definitely dangerous, definitely." Nearly half of the state's rest areas closed to save the Commonwealth almost 9 million dollars. While some tell CBS 6, they'll break the law others like Reuben Smith says it's risk he's not willing to take. "I will not sleep alongside the interstate highway. I'll just venture on until I get to a safe haven...someplace." A decision state police say they can live with.

"If you need to pull off the exit ramp and use one of the local establishments that are available for the public use," says Sgt. Thomas Molner.

Right now, State police say it's too soon to say whether Tuesday's rest stop closings will lead to an increase in the number of truckers getting tickets. They say drivers can pull on the shoulder only if it's an emergency.