One way to ensure that your truck is pulled over is to leave a trail of debris as you drive down the highway. Such a truck is an easy mark for truck enforcement agents and police officers.
An unsecured load traffic ticket in New York City carries a minimum of $250 fine and many judges will not plea bargain them down. Further, these truck tickets are not repairable after-the-fact by adding a tarp or safety straps.
The danger of an unsecured load was seen this week when a young woman was killed in the Bronx trying to avoid debris on the Bruckner Expressway. Suejaes Estrada tried to avoid a cable spool bouncing on the highway as she crossed an overpass, lost control of her SUV and hit a divider. The crash threw her out of her vehicle and sent her falling 40 feet to her death. Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw and his wife were in a nearby car that was involved in this accident although neither was hurt.
The AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety road debris causes 25,000 accidents and results in 100 deaths annually. In New York City approximately 130 accidents on East River bridges were caused by loose debris over a three year period.
To avoid lawsuits, injuries and truck tickets, it is therfore important to make sure that your truck’s load is properly secured.
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2 Comments. Leave new
In New York State, can snow on your roof that falls off while you are driving and hit another vehicle and damages it be classified as an “unsecured load” and be issued a ticket?
Tom, that’s a new one for me. I’ve never seen someone charged for un-secured load for snow. Thus, I do not think it applies. This statute is intended to cover materials that you are transporting. A different law may apply but I’d think a charge for unsecured load would be defensible.
Thanks for submitting this interesting question.
Matthew Weiss