Cooperative Living September 2017 - 24

SafetySense
Secure your load before hitting the road
W
Take a few extra minutes to ensure your load is securely in place before you head out.
hether you are taking a trip
to the county landfill,
bringing home a truckload
of mulch or helping a family member
move, the Virginia Department of Motor
Vehicles and AAA Mid-Atlantic urge
motorists to take time to properly secure
their cargo before beginning to drive.
" Quickly loading your cargo and
driving slowly while keeping your
fingers crossed may seem more
convenient in the short term, but could
lead to serious tragedies while on the
road, " says DMV Commissioner Richard
Holcomb. Taking a few extra minutes to
ensure your load is securely in place
before you head out will prevent the
need to pull over once underway to
make an adjustment to the fasteners or
retrieve cargo that has fallen out.
" Keep in mind that anything that fails
to stay in your vehicle could cause a
serious accident or even prove deadly
for those travelling behind you, "
Holcomb adds, noting that under the
Code of Virginia, you could be charged
with a Class 1 misdemeanor should any
items fall from your vehicle.
According to the AAA Foundation
for Traffic Safety, roadway debris was
a factor in more than 200,000 crashes
that occurred between 2011 and 2014,
resulting in 39,000 injuries and 500
deaths. About two-thirds of these
crashes were caused by items that had
fallen from vehicles due to improper
maintenance and unsecured loads.
Here are five steps to follow when
securing a load:
* Tie down your load with rope,
netting or straps, making sure to
secure both the front and back.
* Tie large or heavy objects directly to
the vehicle or trailer to prevent
shifting.
* For lightweight items or cargo such
as mulch that could blow off and
into another driver's line of vision,
cover your entire load with a sturdy
tarp or netting.
22 | Cooperative Living | September 2017
Roadway
Debris Causes
Crashes
* Make sure your vehicle's tires have
adequate tire pressure and avoid
overloading the vehicle.
* Always double-check your load
during any stops, such as refueling, to
make sure that the load is still secure.
'Always try to maintain
open space on at least one
side of your vehicle in case
you need to steer around
an object. If you are unable
to completely avoid debris
on the roadway, safely
reduce your speed as
much as possible before
making contact.'
And to protect yourself from the
unsecured cargo of other motorists,
practice defensive-driving techniques.
" Continually scan the road at
least 12 to 15 seconds ahead, " says
Martha Mitchell Meade, public and
government affairs manager for AAA
Mid-Atlantic. " Always try to maintain
open space on at least one side of
your vehicle in case you need to steer
around an object. If you are unable
to completely avoid debris on the
roadway, safely reduce your speed
as much as possible before
making contact. "
Leaving a safe following distance
from the car in front of you and
avoiding distractions while behind the
wheel can also help prevent crashes.
Those wishing to report road debris
on roads maintained by the Virginia
Department of Transportation,
including interstates and most of
the commonwealth's primary and
secondary roads, should call
1-800-367-ROAD (7623). 
Sources: www.dmv.virginia.gov,
www.AAA.com/PreventRoadDebris
www.co-opliving.com
http://www.dmv.virginia.gov http://www.AAA.com/PreventRoadDebris http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living September 2017

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