State troopers will be out this weekend looking for drivers with unsecured loads.
They announced the emphasis patrol Friday as the state launched its first new anti-litter campaign since 2009.
State officials say unsecured loads lead to 300 crashes every year on Washington roadways, and 30 injuries.
And unsecured loads can kill.
In 2006, Gavin Coffee died in a crash after he swerved to avoid a shelf falling from a pickup on I-5.
Two men in the pickup were the first to be prosecuted with tougher penalties under Maria’s Law, which is named for Maria Federici, who was blinded in 2004 by a piece of particle board that fell off a trailer and hit her car.
“Whether it’s a quick trip from the transfer station or landfill or from the hardware store, you need to secure your load each and every time,” said Sgt. Darren Wright of the Washington State Patrol.
Wright said last year, troopers pulled over more than a thousand drivers for stuff that wasn’t tied down.
To mark national Secure Your Load Day, they’ll do emphasis patrols the next several weekends.
Sunday is National Secure Your Load Day which commemorates people whose lives were impacted or taken by unsecured loads
— TracyTaylorTraffic (@TracyTTraffic) June 5, 2021
State troopers are conducting emphasis patrols for four consecutive weekends. Drivers will get pulled over and ticketed if they have not properly secured loads
The Washington State Department of Ecology is kicking off its first anti-litter campaign since 2009 with an emphasis on unsecured loads.
“Litter isn’t just ugly, it’s dangerous,” said Amber Smith of the Department of Ecology.
Ecology officials say up to 40 percent of Washington’s roadside litter comes from things flying out of vehicles.
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