Road test shows deadly potential of debris


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SALT LAKE CITY — From box springs and beach balls to shredded tires and cardboard boxes, most of us have dodged dangerous debris on the road. If we're lucky, there's no delay. If not, the debris can be deadly.

"This is a major issue that our crews are dealing with every day on Utah roads," said UDOT spokesman John Gleason.

Many people are already headed out of town for the Labor Day weekend. If you're packing a load make sure it's secure, no matter what, said Sgt. Todd Royce with the Utah Highway Patrol.

"If you think that it's not a big deal," he said, "It's a huge deal."

When motorists head out on the highway with an unsecured load, Royce pointed out they might lose their possessions and endanger the lives of other motorists.

Royce and Department of Public Safety spokesman Dwayne Baird helped KSL set up a debris test at their training track near Camp Williams.

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First, KSL loaded its truck hastily, without tying anything down. The objective was to see what kind of danger was created with a full load of unsecured items, from a box spring to beach chairs and a cooler. When the truck accelerated, several items from the load, including the box spring, ended up scattered all over the road for trailing motorists to hit, or try to avoid.

"It's a natural reaction for all of us: we turn, we try to avoid whatever we are about to hit," said Baird. That can cause a motorist to swerve into another vehicle or oncoming traffic, or roll the car.

Since the beginning of the year, the UHP has responded to 16,000 calls to remove debris from the road. When troopers conduct a slow-down to clear the road, it ties up two troopers: one to slow traffic, the other to clear the debris.

A similar slowdown last week led to the death of a father and daughter when they were rear-ended sitting in traffic on I-15 near Riverdale.

State troopers said they end up dealing with debris because too many people pack too fast.

"If you think that it's OK, you have to know that it's OK," said Royce. "A lot of times we stop people and they say, 'I didn't think it was going to come out.' Well, you have to know that it's not going to come out." And not come out in a crash.

UDOT clears 8,000 tons of debris from the roads each year. That's enough to fill Rice-Eccles Stadium.


A lot of times we stop people and they say, 'I didn't think it was going to come out.' Well, you have to know that it's not going to come out.

–Sgt. Todd Royce


Baird shared packing pointers for securing a load in a pickup truck.

"You load everything that's light on the bottom," he said. "If you're going to cover it with something, whether it's a dresser or a mattress, anything you could tie down later."

When motorists stack light items on the top, Baird said they're more likely to fly out when the truck accelerates. The idea behind putting the heavier, bigger items on top is that they secure the lighter items.

We secured the whole load with ratchet straps that tighten and lock.

"You tighten those down as tight as you can," he said.

Baird says too often people buy the cheapest straps available.

(Photo: KSL-TV)
(Photo: KSL-TV)

"This is worth every dollar you spend on them," Baird said tightening the ratchet strap. "This is what is going to keep your belongings safe and secure." And keep everyone safe behind the truck.

"Just when you think it's tight enough, ratchet it again," he said. Then, he suggests, ask yourself, what's going to happen to the load in a crash.

"Where's it going to go? And who's it going to affect? Not only are you going to lose your material, but are you going to harm someone else?"

He said motorists don't get a pass on the loose load just because they're in a crash. That's why he recommends that everyone carrying a load takes time to recheck the load.

The minimum fine for noncommercial drivers who lose something on the road is $200 for the first offense and a minimum of $500 for the second offense. The minimum fine for commercial drivers who lose something on the road is $500 for the first offense and a minimum of $1,000 on the second offense.

"There's not a time of day when someone is not losing something out of their vehicle," said Royce.

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Jed Boal

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