Drive Safely by Securing Your Load

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked us today to urge drivers to properly secure transported objects. Items not properly secured pose a safety risk on our nation’s roadways. Objects or debris can fall from vehicles and can collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or fatalities.

NHTSA said that during 2016–2020, ~16,878 people were injured per year when a vehicle collided with another object while on the road. During this time, passenger vehicles accounted for 81% of crashes in which cargo was not properly secured. From 2016-2020, there were an average of 732 fatalities per year when a vehicle collided with another object that was not properly secured.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws concerning unsecured loads on non-commercial motor vehicles. Moreover, the vehicle’s driver or operator is responsible for its safe operation, including the condition of the vehicle. ‘Safe condition’ involves properly securing any objects or debris that could separate from the moving vehicle, creating dangerous obstacles for other motorists.

This, of course, establishes the potential for a crash, as a driver may need to swerve to avoid a collision with the loose items. Violation of unsecured load laws can carry state-specific penalties of up to $5,000. Laws state that cargo should be tied down in such a way as to prevent anything from dropping, shifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping the vehicle.