BATON ROUGE, La. — Governor John Bel Edwards has proclaimed June 6 “Secure Your Load for Road Safety Day” in Louisiana, according to Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC).
"Secure Your Load" is a national traffic safety campaign that honors those whose lives have been impacted or lost due to unsecured loads and road debris, and emphasizes the need to make load securement a standard practice.
“Whether you’re hauling a load for a short or long distance, take the time to secure each item properly,” LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman said. “Not only is it the law, but an item falling off the back of a vehicle typically carries the force to severely injure or kill someone.”
According to LHSC, Louisiana Revised Statute 32:383 states: “The load on a vehicle shall not drop, sift, leak, or otherwise escape therefrom, except that sand may be dropped on a highway to secure traction or a liquid substance may be dropped on a highway to clean or maintain such highway . . . The load on any vehicle shall be securely fastened so as to prevent the covering or load from becoming loose, detached, or in any manner a hazard to other users of the highway.”
The Louisiana penalty for an unsecured load is set as, “A fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.”
The safety campaign started in 2010 when Robin Abel partnered with Paul Reif after Reif’s son, Matthew, was killed by an unsecured load on June 6. In 2004, Abel had nearly lost her own daughter in a crash with an unsecured load. Bonded by their grief, Abel and Reif have supported each other throughout the safety campaign to save other families from the unnecessary pain they have experienced.
“We put on our seatbelts and fasten our children in car seats, so why is it that we think it is okay to leave anything loose in the bed of our trucks and risk endangering others on the road,” Abel said. “Secure your load as if everyone you love is driving in the car behind you.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded Abel the nation’s highest road safety award for Public Service in 2015.
From 2016 to 2020, there were an average of 732 fatalities per year in the United States caused by a vehicle colliding with another object that was not properly secured, officials report. Another 16,878 people were injured annually, according to NHTSA. In addition, 16% of litter in Louisiana comes from trucks with unsecured loads.
Ensure cargo is properly secured by following these tips:
- Tie cargo down with rope, netting, or straps.
- Tie large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer.
- Consider covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting.
- Don’t overload the vehicle or trailer.
- Always double-check the load to make sure it’s secure.
Before transporting a load, LHSC suggests that drivers ask themselves the following questions:
- Is there any chance of debris or cargo falling or blowing out of my vehicle?
- Is my load secured at the back, sides, and top?
- What would happen to my load if I had to brake suddenly, if I hit a bump, or if another vehicle hit me?
- Would I want my loaded vehicle driving through my own neighborhood?
- Would I feel safe if I were driving behind my vehicle?
For more information on Secure Your Load Day, click here.
