ADOT marks National Secure Your Load Day

PHOENIX – A tipped-over couch left behind in the right lane. A mangled mattress with twisted metal springs and shredded cloth blocking the middle lanes. A smashed ladder splintered across the highway. 

These hazardous scenarios are just a fraction of what Arizona Department of Transportation crews and motorists see every day. And they’re all caused by unsecured loads. 

So, on National Secure Your Load Day, June 6, ADOT wants to remind drivers to take proper steps and secure their loads to prevent dangerous debris from ending up on Arizona’s highways. 

Items such as couches, landscaping trimmings, ladders, furniture and appliances that fall off or out of vehicles traffic are a danger to drivers that can damage vehicles and, more importantly, cause crashes. Not only that, it puts ADOT crews and Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, who have to go out into traffic on busy freeways to remove the debris, at risk.

ADOT’s Incident Response Unit, sponsored by GEICO, responded to over 4,400 calls for debris in the metro Phoenix area in the past 12 months, with most of the calls being mattresses and tire debris. 

“Each time a member of ADOT’s Incident Response Unit stops traffic and goes out onto the highway to remove a washing machine or tire shreds, they’re putting their lives on the line,” IRU Program Manager Abraham Asermely said. "We encourage all drivers to take a few extra minutes to properly secure their loads, helping to ensure their own safety and the safety of others on our highways."

Before you start your travel, do the following things to make sure your load is secured and stays in your vehicle or attached trailer. 

• Tie down your load: Use ropes, bungee cords, netting or other straps when hauling items. 
• Cover your load: Use a tarp to prevent items from flying out from a truck bed or trailer.
• Ask yourself: Would I feel safe if I were driving behind my vehicle? Would my load stay secure if I had to suddenly brake or if I hit a bump on the road? 

On National Secure Your Load Day, ADOT will display a message on its overhead message signs encouraging drivers to secure their loads to help prevent crashes and litter on the highways. If you come across debris on the highway, treat it as the emergency that it is and call 911. That helps ensure that the debris is quickly and safely removed. Drivers should not attempt to stop and remove debris from travel lanes.