Unsecured Loads: Road Debris Injures Hundreds Of Texans Each Year

Just weeks ago, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk was injured when a ladder lying on I-30 was kicked up by a passing tractor-trailer and slammed into the man’s windshield. While some are calling the Interstate 30 Texas car accident a “freak occurrence,” the truth is that unsecured loads and roadside debris is responsible for a surprising number of TX car accidents and car accident injuries.

In Fact, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 1162 vehicle crashes caused by unsecured loads throughout the state in 2008. Of those accidents, 206 involved serious injuries and eight resulted in fatalities.

Texas, like all other states, has laws against unsecured and improperly secured loads, but many safety advocates do not believe that the laws are tough enough. Drivers who are pulled over for having an improperly secured load will receive a citation, and while the punishment for having a unsecured load is more serious if an injury or a death is involved, it is often more difficult to find the vehicle who lost the load and is responsible for the accident. In the TX car accident cited above, for example, Texas police do not know who dropped a ladder into the road and, therefore, who was responsible for the accident in the first place.

Unsecured loads can involve a number of different circumstances. A load of gravel or rocks that is not properly covered with a tarp can fling debris into the windshield of the vehicle traveling behind it. An old car with loose parts, such as a bumper, can also unknowingly create road debris. A truck with a load that is not properly tied down can cause major problems if the vehicle has to brake suddenly – the load can even slide forward into the cab of the truck, killing the driver.