Roadside rest stops have become an endangered species in some states, and that worries groups that say the facilities are needed to give truckers and other motorists a place to take a break from driving, the news service Stateline reported.

Florida, Michigan, Ohio and South Dakota are among the states that have closed traditional rest stops in the last two years, according to Stateline. Many state transportation agencies are seeing their budgets shrink and rest stops are expensive to maintain and renovate.

Many groups say rest stops are a vital part of the nation's highway infrastructure. Darrin Roth, a spokesman for the American Trucking Associations, said the facilities are necessities to help truckers comply with a federal law limiting the number of hours they can drive. There is already a shortage of places for trucks to park and commercial truck stops quickly fill up.

"They may not necessarily have the facilities that truck stops do, but they are critical to meeting the needs of truck drivers," Roth told the news service. "And they're certainly more desirable than having a truck park on the shoulder or on a ramp, which is not just dangerous, it's illegal."

Other drivers rely on rest stops as well. AAA State Relations Manager Rich Romer said rest stops give drivers a place to pull over when they're tired.

"Rest stops are one of the many tools to keep motorists safe and help them arrive at their destination alive," he said. http://bit.ly/2oMWkWL

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