At the Arizona Department of Transportation, our guiding principle - what we call our True North - is “Safely Home.” It defines our commitment to providing a safe transportation system for everyone throughout this magnificent state. 

Recently, we had a chance to commemorate “Secure Your Load Day,” with some of ADOT’s fellow safety partners, such as the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Maricopa Association of Governments - all are committed to excellent, long-term collaboration to keep our roads safe. Governor Doug Ducey even signed an official proclamation for the day.  

This event was held at the ADOT Durango Maintenance Yard in Phoenix, which is a fitting location. This is where some of our ADOT crews start and end their shifts each day, and of course we have similar facilities all over Arizona where dedicated ADOT employees serve the public every day (and night, for that matter). 

They’re the ones responsible for maintaining the state’s highway system — that includes all the travel lanes, ramps, shoulders and bridges. They stay very busy every day making sure our roads are safe for drivers. They’re out there repairing guardrails, making pavement improvements and — far too often — removing dangerous items from the roadway.

Our crews have seen it all. From water heaters and camper shells, to ladders and even a few Christmas trees. These items that end up on the road are a major risk to drivers. The debris behind us was picked up in just the last few days and represents the clear danger of unsecured loads. The numbers also help tell the story. About 1.6 million pounds of litter is picked up each year from Valley freeways. More than 118,000 bags of litter were picked up last year – that’s more than 400 bags every weekday. 

Unsecured loads cause tens of thousands of crashes across the country every year. Beyond that, law enforcement officers and ADOT crews are put in the dangerous position of having to clear the road when an item falls from a vehicle onto the highway.

Drivers play an important role when it comes to safety. Securing your load makes travel safer for everyone. Tie-downs, netting, bungee cords, ropes, straps and tarps — these are all things you can use to keep your belongings safe in your vehicle, where they belong. 

A really great question to ask yourself before getting on the road is, “Would I feel safe if I were driving behind my vehicle?” If the answer is no, then you know that you need to make sure everything you’re carrying in –  or on  – your vehicle is secure before you take that trip.

One more thing I’d like to stress is how important it is to call 911 when you see road debris. When something’s on the road, whether it’s a small grill or a king size mattress, it poses a real danger. Calling 911 is the best way to ensure that those obstacles will be quickly and safely removed. It could actually save someone’s life.

Gathering the family together to pick out a Christmas tree might be a tradition for some, but, unfortunately, so is improperly securing it to a vehicle.

Don't be that family. You know, the one that arrives home only to discover the tree didn’t complete the journey. The family whose merriment deflates like so much crumpled wrapping paper.

Besides, trees and highways are not a merry combination. It's kind of like getting coal in your stocking.

But more than that, properly securing a tree to the vehicle saves lives. Every spruce, pine or fir that lands on a highway is a hazard and a potential crash. One family's ejected evergreen could be another family’s holiday horror.

We at the ADOT Blog see too many trees littering Arizona roadways. Too many vehicles swerving suddenly to avoid them. Too many public safety responders risking life and limb to remove them from roadways. The highway is no place for a tree.

Whether your tree was purchased at a lot or you got a permit to legally remove one from an Arizona forest, here are some tips to help secure your tree and keep your spirits bright:

• Supplies: Pack strong rope, nylon ratchet straps, tie-downs and, depending on your vehicle, an old blanket that can be placed on the roof of a vehicle.
• Netting: Some tree lots will offer to wrap the tree in netting. This can protect your vehicle from being scratched by branches and also helps when it's time to secure the tree to the vehicle roof.
• Positioning: When placing the tree on the vehicle's roof, make sure the top of the tree is pointing behind the vehicle. 
• Securing: Securely strap the tree at its trunk, middle and top.
• Check: Do the tug test. Pull at the tree from different angles to make sure it is snug.
• Drive smart: There is a large tree atop your vehicle. Make safe and smart decisions when driving that won't cause an evergreen ejection.

And, if you do see a Christmas tree -- or anything else that doesn't belong in highway travel lanes -- please call 911 and report it so the road hazard can be removed.

To read more ADOT blogs about securing your load, click on these: 

Driving safely home, secure your load

Is your load secure? Make sure! 

Be responsible, secure your loads and don't litter

A camper shell and mattress. Bent siding. No, these aren’t things I’m selling on eBay. These items were recently picked up along the roadway by a member of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Incident Response Unit, sponsored by State Farm. 

Besides providing traffic incident management at crash sites and helping motorists, our IRU crews pick up all sorts of items that have fallen out of trucks and cars because they weren’t secure. It’s risky to retrieve them out of the roadway. Law enforcement officers and ADOT employees are put in dangerous situations having to clear the road of debris.

This kind of debris can cause crashes and even fatalities. In Arizona, we are seeing an increase in the number of crashes involving debris with a handful of tragic fatalities. In 2019, we had 2,172 crashes with five fatalities; in 2020, there were 2,318 crashes and five fatalities.

Debris-related crashes are preventable if drivers would just secure their loads. Tie-downs, netting, bungee cords, ropes, straps and tarps can all be used to keep belongings in vehicles and off the road. Doing so makes travel safer for everyone. There are helpful tips from the Don’t Trash Arizona website on the do’s and don’ts of securing loads.

Along with a reminder to secure loads, I want to urge everyone to stop littering. We are having a trash problem on our roadways. Recently, ADOT personnel in southern Arizona collected 11,000 pounds of trash and bulk items along an 11-mile stretch of Interstate 10 from Rita Road to Kino Boulevard. It’s been a hotspot for roadside garbage and debris.

In addition to being unsightly, garbage can clog our drainage system and bring wildlife near our roadways. It’s a safety issue.

Be responsible -- secure your loads and don’t litter!

Sound familiar? 

It was such a short drive and I wasn't driving fast.

The items were too heavy to fall. 

There were only a few items in the truck bed. 

Despite these common excuses, refrigerators, couches, barbecue grills and mattresses routinely fly from vehicles onto Arizona highways, creating road hazards that can lead to serious, even fatal, crashes. And that doesn't even include the trash, brush and food wrappers we see too often on our roads. 

You name it, it's been on an Arizona highway, up to and including Christmas trees. This means ADOT crews or Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers have to remove these items from highways, which is not only dangerous, but can also lead to traffic delays. 

That's why on June 6, Arizona will recognize Secure Your Load Day. The day helps raise awareness about the dangers of loose debris on highways that can come from unsecured loads. On Sunday, look for messages on our overhead message boards reminding drivers to secure their load. 

Unsecured loads aren't just unsafe, but against the law. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, violators could be charged with a class two misdemeanor. The fines, plus court costs, can be more than $1,000, depending on injuries. Nationally, debris-related crashes number more than 51,000 a year, according to the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Don't Trash Arizona Secure Your Load webpage. In 2017, Arizona logged more than 800 such crashes, including one fatality, according to MAG.

You can easily contribute to a safer commute for everyone if you secure your load. It takes a little planning and a little time to secure your loads, but it sure beats the alternative. Here are some good tips from from the MAG webpage: 

• Large or heavy items should be firmly secured with solid straps, rope, bungee cords, or netting. Tie large items directly to your vehicle. Tied down materials must be able to withstand wind up to 70 miles per hour on the highway. At that speed, the wind is providing about a 20-pound-per-square-foot push, which can dislodge those loads and push them off your vehicle.
• Do not use restraints if they are frayed, cut or damaged.
• For loose, lighter items such as tree clippings, a sturdy plastic or canvas tarp or netting can be used to keep items in place. Tie the tarp securely or it might become road debris as well.
• Put lighter weight things at the bottom of the load and make sure they are secure. Evenly distribute the load to prevent it from sliding.
• Keep materials level with truck bed or trailer unless tied down, netted or under a tarp.
• Double-check your load to make sure it is secure at the back and on the sides and top. Remember that loads can move and settle during a journey, allowing restraints to loosen. If possible, recheck restraints shortly after beginning your trip.
• Ensure both the vehicle and trailer are in good mechanical condition and roadworthy. Check that your vehicle is rated to tow the load. Remember that your load will make your vehicle less maneuverable and it will take longer to stop.
• Ask yourself: Is there any chance of debris falling or blowing out of my vehicle? Would I feel safe if I were driving behind my vehicle? What would happen to my load if I had to brake suddenly or if I hit a bump?

Remember, if you see debris on a freeway, it's an emergency. Please call 911 right away.

You can learn more about how to keep items off our roads on the Secure Your Load page on our Focus On Driving website.

It's beginning to look a lot like ... the time of year people head out to cut down their own Christmas tree.

Okay, okay, we know that's not how the classic Christmas song goes, but we will still argue many will be searching for a Christmas tree in the coming weeks. Some will be traveling to our national forests where permits are available to cut down their own Tannebaum, while others will drive to the nearest tree lot or big box store to find their tree.

No matter which option your family chooses, please make sure your holiday cheer isn't dimmed by losing your tree before it makes it home. You can see that's what happened to one unfortunate family in this tweet from a few years ago. Each year, both before and after the holiday, it's not uncommon to see a Christmas tree in the middle of the road. Please secure your load so your tree doesn't cause a crash. Your gift for doing so will be delivering a new tree to your family, ready to decorate!

And if you are heading up north, whether to find your perfect tree or just going to enjoy cooler temperatures, there are a few other winter safety tips to keep in mind. Before you leave, make sure you pack a winter safety kit. Unexpected storms, crashes or car trouble may cause you to spend an extended time in your vehicle. You'll be glad you packed those extra blankets and snacks if you ever find yourself in that situation. Visit azdot.gov/KnowSnow for more winter travel tips.

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

You've probably seen them as you drive, lurking along roadways or basking in the Arizona sun. Maybe you've seen Department of Public Safety troopers having to remove them from the road.

These are "gators," but not the kind you'd see in Florida. Road gators are the tire treads that wind up on roadways following a tire blowout. The amount of tire debris we see on the highway goes up as hotter weather sets in. In fact, these photos are from a recent trip to one of our Valley maintenance yards.

While road gators don't have up to 80 teeth or a bite that can snap with more than 2,000 pounds per square inch, they can be every bit as dangerous to drivers if they end up in the travel lanes. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 700 people die every year in tire-related crashes.

Fortunately, there is something you can do to help keep gators off the road: Check your tires regularly.

Making sure your tires are not under- or overinflated can reduce the risk of blowouts. Also make sure that a vehicle's tires are properly maintained and rotated. Finally, checking a tire's tread and replacing it when it is too worn decreases the chance of a blowout.

Staying alert and being prepared for possible road hazards is essential. While DPS troopers often take on the potentially dangerous task of tossing road gators out of travel lanes and onto highway shoulders, ADOT crews do spot pickups of debris along busy Phoenix-area freeway shoulders and state highways throughout the year. Our sweeping contractors do regular weekly collection of larger debris items along Valley freeways, but as you can imagine it's impossible to immediately catch everything along the more than 6,300 miles of state highways.

As we said in a recent post, if a driver sees tire debris on the roadway, their first call should be to 911 to have it removed as soon as possible.