National Secure Your Load Day
Have you ever had a rock hit your windshield? Then you know how quickly an incident like that can happen. Now instead, imagine that rock is a ladder, wheelbarrow, hammer, lumber, or a piece of furniture, and that the car behind that flying debris is your family. A good motto to live by is to always secure your load as if everyone you love is driving in the car behind you!
Check out these personal stories from people whose lives were significantly impacted by unsecured loads:
On June 6, 2006, 29-year-old Matthew Reif of Phoenix lost his life in a car accident. The killer? A small piece of unsecured scrap metal that flew off the truck ahead of him, smashing through his windshield. "It impaled his heart, killing him instantly," said his father, Paul Reif. "Someone was hauling a load of junk, and it wasn't secured properly. "He was living his life, as healthy as could be," said Reif, crying softly. "Then suddenly, poof. I guess we have to be thankful there was no suffering."
Robin Abel's 24-year-old daughter, Maria Federici, was luckier. She didn't die in 2004 when a piece of particle board escaped from the back of a rented trailer and broke her windshield. Instead, she was nearly decapitated as the debris crushed every bone in her face. "At first, they told me she wouldn't survive," Abel said, as she too broke into tears. "I donated her organs that night, and then they called and said 'come back; she's still alive.' “ Her recovery was long and painful. Maria had seven surgeries and had to learn to swallow, talk and walk again. She is also blind. "When you see what someone has to live through and what they have to endure because of such a simple thing --securing a load on a car -- it's very heartbreaking," said Abel.
If you think these terrible tragedies are freak accidents, think again. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2016 the Government Accountability Office found there to be 683 deaths, 19,663 injuries and 90,266 accidents due to incidents involving unsecured loads. As a nation, we spend up to $11.5 billion on litter, and it is estimated that 20-40% of that litter is from unsecured loads.
And if you think that once something has fallen safely off your vehicle, it's OK to just keep on trucking, consider this: AAA found that over a third of all deaths from road debris were caused by drivers swerving to avoid an object in the road.
An unsecured load that causes significant injury, death, or property damage, is a crime which includes a fine and possible jail time. Today, all 50 states have laws that make unsecured loads illegal, with fines that range from $10 to $5,000. Although only 16 states list jail time as a possible punishment for offenders, and only 11 states impose fines above $500.
A load must be securely fastened and is only considered secure when nothing can slide, fall, or shift onto the roadway or become airborne. The secure your load safety message is really common sense. People just need to stop and ask themselves these simple questions:
Have I overloaded my vehicle or trailer?
Have I tied large objects directly to the vehicle?
Is the entire load secured at the back, sides and top with rope, netting or straps?
Is there any chance something might fall or blow out of my vehicle?
What would happen to my load if I hit a bump, had to brake suddenly or was hit by another vehicle?
Would I feel safe if I or my family were driving behind my secured load?
National Secure Your Load Day is June 6th. Please ask your family and friends to be make sure their loads are securely fastened. Be nice, but be BOLD.
Don’t accept these excuses from people as to why their load is not secured:
“But I’m just going a short way and I won’t be driving fast.”
Even if you are driving slowly for just a couple of blocks you are still required to secure your load. The law is clear – every vehicle that travels on every publicly maintained road must have a secured load.
“But what I’m hauling is so heavy it couldn’t possibly fall out.”
Just because you can’t imagine it happening doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. Each year, heavy items such as large truck tires, spools of wire, and large pieces of wood fall from vehicles and end up on our roadways creating hazards for motorists. Take the time to always secure your load.
“But my load is below the top of the truck bed.”
Even with a small load, items can shift and become loose or airborne. Don’t risk it – secure your load.
