Department of Transportation Encourages Safety by Celebrating National Secure Your Load Day

Jun. 8—On Monday, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced it was celebrating National Secure Your Load Day, a day that commemorates "people whose lives were impacted or taken by unsecured loads and encourages drivers to properly secure their loads every time they drive."

According to WSDOT, over 12 million pounds of litter ends up on roadways in Washington with nearly 5 million pounds of that total resulting from unsecured loads falling out of vehicles.

"Washington is the most beautiful state in the country, and to keep it that way we all have to do our part to keep litter and debris off our public spaces," said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. "Unsecured loads are a threat to our safety and to the health of our fellow Washingtonians. We're reminding every driver about the importance of securing their cargo and keeping Washington litter free."

The WSDOT statement detailed the damage litter is capable of causing on roadways.

"Last year, debris on highways caused about 300 traffic crashes and 30 injuries in Washington. So far this year, we've also seen two known fatalities related to unsecured loads. This is devastating because these crashes were all preventable," said Sgt. Darren Wright, a public information officer with the Washington State Patrol. "It's so important to properly secure your load before driving. Anything that flies off a moving vehicle is dangerous, and can even be deadly. In order to save lives, every driver in Washington needs to secure their vehicle load every time they drive."

In an effort to fight against the dangers unsecured loads can cause, the Washington State Patrol will be placing extra emphasis on enforcing state laws penalizing unsecured loads.

WSDOT also emphasized the costs, both in terms of money and time, for cleaning up litter.

"The Washington State Department of Transportation and Department of Ecology together spend $8.5 million a year on efforts to clean the state's roads and highways. Last year, Ecology-funded pickup programs spent more than 125,000 hours collecting nearly 5.2 million pounds of litter and cleaning nearly 22,000 miles of road. In just the first four months of 2022, WSDOT's Adopt-a-Highway volunteers and maintenance crews have already found and removed 136 tons of litter and debris from roadways and rights of way," according to WSDOT.

In its statement, WSDOT said tarps, straps and cargo nets "are easy and effective solutions for securing many types of vehicle loads and preventing road hazards."

Anyone interested in helping pick up roadside litter can do so through WSDOT's Adopt-a-Highway program. Interested individuals can learn more at https://wsdot.wa.gov/business-wsdot/highway-signs/adopt-highway.

Individuals who see potentially dangerous unsecured loads or something fall from a vehicle are encouraged to call 911.