HDOT: Public Advised to Secure Vehicle Loads for Safety

The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) is reminding the public to always secure loaded truck beds, trailers and roof racks.

The reminder is part of the nationwide Secure Your Load campaign on June 6, 2017, to raise motorist awareness around the hazards of unsecured vehicle cargo.

According to the Statewide Traffic Code: “No vehicle shall be moved on any highway, unless the vehicle is so constructed, covered, or loaded as to prevent any of its load… from dropping, sifting, leaking, blowing, spilling, or otherwise escaping…”

The full text of the statute on spilling loads on highways and the associated penalties can be found online.

HDOT advises the public to properly secure any loaded truck bed, trailer or roof rack by:

1. Tying down the load with rope or straps
2. Tying large objects directly to the vehicle or trailer
3. Covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp (which is then tied down) or netting

HDOT also advises the public to double check their load to ensure nothing can slide, fall or shift out of the vehicle.

The Secure Your Load Campaign began with Robin Abel of Seattle, Wash. in 2004 after her daughter was injured by an unsecured load. Abel chose June 6 in memory of 29-year-old Matthew Reif of Arizona, who was killed on June 6, 2006, when an unsecured piece of scrap metal flew off a truck and smashed through his windshield.