YAKIMA, Wash. – Henry Groot was an accountant for over 30 years. About three years ago, he decided to drive a semi-truck for a living and he’s loving it. What he doesn’t love is seeing other drivers who don’t secure their heavy loads and put people like him at risk.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, in 2019, crashes caused by people’s unsecured loads caused 700 deaths, over 17 thousand people were injured and almost 90 thousand cars were damaged.
In Washington state, two people died in crashes caused by unsecured loads this year. Annually, our state sees about 300 crashes caused by unsecured loads and around 30 injuries.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson said he sees debris from unsecured loads on the highway every single day.
“Couches, desks, chairs, whatever you can think of falls out of the back of people’s trucks and trailers,” Trooper Thorson said.
Many times, he posts on his twitter warning people to properly secure anything they carry. He said the most dangerous things are large items like furniture.
“One piece of string or two pieces may not be enough for a full living room set,” Trooper Thorson said.
The best way to secure your load is with straps that have hooks and can be ratcheted down. Trooper Thorson also said cargo nets can be very helpful for keeping things in place.
Groot said you should also make sure your straps aren’t worn. He said he often sees straps flopping in the wind when driving down the road because they are worn or not secured properly.
A few truck drivers I spoke to at a rest stop in Union Gap told me the most common thing they see on the side of the road is mattresses.
Groot said while most of the truckers he sees on the road with an open trailer do a good job of securing their load, that doesn’t go for everyone.
“I’d say 99% do a good job but there are a few drivers who don’t and they’re very neglectful and they’re dangerous to all of us and I don’t like it,” Groot said.
He said when he sees someone with an unsecured load, he tries to stay away.
“I shake my head and sometimes I say some things to myself,” Groot said. “It’s all professional, you know critical comments and then I generally try to avoid them. I’ll either drop back or I’ll get over or pass the lane and get around them because I don’t want to be a victim of something falling off.”
Trooper Thorson said an unsecured load is anything that is at risk of flying out of someone’s vehicle. If you are caught with an unsecured load you can get a ticket or face jail time if the item falls out of your vehicle and hurts someone.
