TYLER, Texas — Have you ever driven down the road and all of a sudden something flew your way? That happens because motorists are not properly securing their cargo.
"Since 2016, in Smith County, there have been 28 crashes attributed to unsecured loads falling onto the roadways resulting in one death and five serious injuries," Kathi White with the Texas Department of Transportation said.
Not only do these types of accidents happen in East Texas, the occur all over the state.
"In Texas alone, there have been 205 [crashes] caused by a load not being secured," Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jean Dark said. "Forty-seven of those involved serious injury or death."
Throwing items into the back of your truck may be the quickest thing to do. Yet, no matter what you are putting in the bed, not taking the time to secure your load can lead to someone getting seriously hurt or worse.
Failing to secure the back of your truck properly can lead to a lot more than just a small fine. Whether it be a bag, mattress or anything else, if it flies out and hits another car, you are looking at serious charges.
"At 55 miles per hour, an object weighing just 20 pounds can fall from a vehicle with the impact of half-a-ton," Sgt. Dark said.
With so many items falling out of vehicles, East Texas has spent a lot of money cleaning it up.
Since 2018, Smith County, alone, has spent nearly $700,000 cleaning up debris. District-wide, that number jumps to more than $2.5 million.
So, the next time you throw something into the back of your truck, take a few extra minutes to secure it. It could save someone's life.