With many people planning summer road trips or moving this season, it’s important to point out the dangers of driving with unsecured loads, which is illegal and contributes significantly to traffic crashes and injuries. June 6 is National Secure Your Load Day. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), unsecured loads and road debris caused 895 deaths, 17,203 injuries, and 98,502 property damage crashes across the nation in 2022. Most of these crashes involve objects falling from passenger vehicles.

National Secure Your Load Day was established by Robin Abel, a traffic safety advocate whose daughter was severely injured in a debris related crash, to help raise awareness about road debris crashes and to educate drivers about the importance of properly securing their load. For many years, AAA has supported the effort to educate drivers.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety research has found common characteristics of crashes involving road debris:

•    Many road debris crashes resulted from a driver swerving to avoid hitting an object. Overcorrecting at the last minute to avoid debris can increase a driver’s risk of losing control of their vehicle.
•    Crashes often occur during the day when many people are on the road hauling or moving heavy items like furniture or construction equipment.
•    Debris-related crashes are much more likely to occur on Interstate highways. Driving at high speeds increases the risk for vehicle parts to become detached or cargo to fall onto the roadway.

 
Research has found the most common types of vehicle debris are:

•    Parts becoming detached from a vehicle (tires, wheels, etc.) and falling onto the roadway
•    Unsecured cargo like furniture, appliances and other items falling onto the roadway
•    Tow trailers becoming separated and hitting another vehicle or landing on the roadway

NHTSA has tips to make sure your items are secured:

•    Tie down the load with rope, netting or straps
•    Tie large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer
•    Cover the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting
•    Don’t overload the vehicle
•    Always double check load to make sure it is secure

The AAA Foundation also recommends driving defensively. Avoid tailgating and continually search the road ahead for debris. If you see you are about to hit debris, safely reduce your speed as much as possible prior to making contact. All 50 states have laws regarding unsecured loads.