Getting There: Unsecured loads carry serious risk of injury, fine

Nobody needs to tell Washington State Patrol Trooper Kevin Isom about the dangers of unsecured loads.

Just over a year ago, Isom was driving at night on Division Street when his patrol car hit a dark object in the road that he had not seen. Someone failed to secure an engine, and it apparently fell out of the back of a pickup.

The crash injured Isom, who has not yet been able to resume full duties for the WSP, Trooper Mark Baker said.

“We never did find out who dropped it,” Baker added.

Last Tuesday, a contractor driving to work lost a ladder in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 near Havana.

“He pulled over in the shoulder. Traffic slowed down so he could walk out and get his ladder,” Baker said. “As a result, he slowed traffic during rush hour. That was definitely a hazard.”

In addition to the safety risks, the Washington state Department of Ecology estimates that 40 percent of litter along Washington’s roadways comes from unsecured loads. As a result, Ecology and the WSP are teaming up with emphasis patrols starting April 13. On April 15, officials from both agencies will hold an event to demonstrate the proper way to secure loads.

“We want to make sure we keep the roadways safe,” Ecology spokeswoman Kathy Davis said. “We think of litter as an eyesore. But it’s dangerous. People have gotten hurt or killed.”

If the lessons aren’t learned, offending drivers can face fines of as much as $216 and be liable for damage or injuries caused by items coming off their vehicles, Baker said.

The fine isn’t as clear-cut in Idaho, Kootenai County Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Ben Wolfinger said. Anyone who fails to secure a load in Idaho faces a misdemeanor offense that carries up to a $1,000 fine. But in each case a judge will determine the fine, he said.

Baker said a rule of thumb for anyone with a pickup or utility trailer should be that they secure any load that sticks up over the pickup bed or trailer rail.

Haulers should use rope, bungee cords, nets and ratchet straps to tie items directly to the vehicle or trailer. Virtually all items need to be secured prior to getting on the road, he said.

Lumber, drywall and mattresses often aren’t properly secured, Baker said.

Other drivers behind trucks or vehicles hauling trailers should keep an eye out for the unexpected, he said.

“That’s why speed and following distance becomes so critical,” he said. “If you are following a truck too closely … that’s when bad things happen.”

Motorcycle endorsement

Speaking of WSP collaboration, troopers will team up Tuesday with the state Department of Licensing in an effort to encourage motorcyclists to get their required motorcycle endorsement.

The motorcycle safety event will be held from 5:30 a.m. to noon at Valley Point Pines Church, 714 S. Pines Road, Spokane Valley, Baker said.

Starting last July, new laws and policies gave troopers the option of impounding motorcycles if their riders had not obtained proper endorsement.

Since then, the WSP has impounded 113 motorcycles, which may have contributed to an 18 percent drop in the number of fatal collisions involving motorcycles, Baker said.

On Tuesday, officials will provide information about how to obtain the endorsement and offer specialized training for riders. “We encourage the public, motorcycle mechanics, local riding groups and the media to stop by and ask questions,” Baker said.

According to state statistics, about 60 percent of motorcycle fatalities are single-vehicle accidents. The most common causes are excessive speed, impaired driving and the inability of riders to stay in the lanes of travel.

A third of the motorcyclists who died last year did not have a motorcycle endorsement, Baker said.

City slowdowns

Wall Street between Wellesley and Francis avenues will have intermittent obstructions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day this week, city streets spokeswoman Ann Deasy said. The city Water Department will be working there in preparation for a reconstruction project slated to start later this spring.

In addition, Boone Avenue from Maple to Walnut streets will be reduced to one lane in each direction. And for the next week, Boone from Maple to Ash streets will have one lane closed with westbound traffic being detoured to Maxwell Avenue. City crews will install water lines in preparation for the reconstruction of Maple and Ash streets expected to begin in April, Deasy said.

Highway lane reductions

Washington state Department of Transportation crews will be working on several projects that will affect traffic, spokesman Al Gilson said.

Starting today, crews will reduce traffic on U.S. 395 by one lane in the vicinity of the Wandermere Bridge so they can repair erosion in the sand slope below the bridge, Gilson said. As a result, they will close one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Thursday. Also on Thursday, crews will close the westbound Thor/Freya on-ramp from 9 a.m. to noon to replace a damaged light pole.

Idaho slowdowns

Idaho Transportation Department crews continue to have U.S. 95 reduced to one lane between Neider Avenue and Hayden Avenue. Drivers should expect at least 15 minute delays during the day until May 15.

Crews are working to install video equipment to help synchronize traffic signals, ITD spokeswoman Barbara Babic said.

At night, crews may close some lanes at the U.S. 95 intersections with Bosanko, Kathleen, Dalton, Hanley, Canfield, Prairie and Hayden avenues between 7 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., she said.