Drive Safe: Secure Your Load - It's Your Responsibility

From the Police Department

To help keep people safe on America’s roads, the Franklin lakes Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind drivers to Drive Safe: Contain Your Cargo. It is every driver’s responsibility to ensure all cargo is safely secured. Items not properly secured pose a safety risk on our nation's roadways.

Every U.S. state has a law making it illegal for a driver to operate a non-commercial motor vehicle with an unsecured load. Violating these laws can carry state-specific penalties of up to $5,000. Objects or debris can fall from vehicles and collide with other vehicles or pedestrians, causing serious injuries or fatalities. For this reason, it is essential to properly Contain Your Cargo.

“Many drivers think that only commercial vehicle drivers are responsible for securing their cargo,” said Sergeant Denny Knubel. “We want our community to know that it is every driver’s responsibility to ensure their logo is properly secured to their vehicle to protect other vehicles, drivers, and bystanders,” he said.

From 2016 to 2020, an average of 16,878 people were injured per year when a vehicle collided with another object that was not properly secured. During this same time period, an average of 732 people per year lost their lives. Non-commercial passenger vehicles accounted for 81% of these crashes, in which cargo was not properly secured. 

In the rush of the day, it can be easy to overlook the importance of properly securing your vehicle’s cargo. Before transporting a load, check that your vehicle’s load is secured on the top, sides, and back, and make sure nothing can blow or fall out. Ensure your load is safe if you were to suddenly hit the brakes or a speed bump, or if you were hit by another vehicle. Check in with yourself: Would you want your loaded vehicle driving through your own neighborhood? Would you feel safe driving behind your loaded vehicle?

Follow these tips to ensure you properly secure your cargo:

• Tie it down with rope, netting, or straps. 

• Tie large objects directly to your vehicle or trailer.

• Consider covering the entire load with a sturdy tarp or netting. 

• Don’t overload your vehicle or trailer.

• Always double-check your load to make sure it’s secure.