Secure Your Load

Couches, fridges, mattresses, oh my!

These aren’t just high-dollar items on sale this holiday season — they’re the objects that we see frequently dropped on highways because they weren’t secured properly. Sometimes these appliances and furniture are brand new, going home from the store.

Beyond the disappointment the owner feels about losing those items, once on the road, they are hazardous to drivers and first responders, who are tasked with clearing it off the roadway. Debris can damage vehicles and cause crashes.

ADOT’s Incident Response Unit, sponsored by GEICO, responds to all types of crashes across metro Phoenix highways. But, IRU crews will also respond to any type of incident that is blocking a travel lane, which often includes debris that ends up on the freeway.

In July, a semi truck lost its back door and heavy carts it was transporting fell onto the 51st Avenue exit ramp on I-10 westbound, blocking several travel lanes.

We don't have five golden rings, but we do have five lonesome ladders in our "12 Days of Christmas: Highway debris edition" video.

We’d like to challenge kids and parents alike to learn what National Secure Your Load Day is all about. This observation on June 6 calls attention to the dangers posed by unsecured vehicle loads and road debris.

It’s frightening to drive next to a truck full of large items that aren’t held down tightly. That’s why we at ADOT recommend taking a few extra minutes to secure all items in truck beds, small or large.

Recently, we had a chance to commemorate “Secure Your Load Day,” with some of ADOT’s fellow safety partnerswho are all committed to excellent, long-term collaboration to keep our roads safe.

Secure your Christmas tree so it gets home safely and doesn't become an ejected evergreen.

ADOT Director Halikowski explains how debris is a safety issue for everyone on the road. 

Mattresses, kayaks, grills, even Christmas trees. We've seen it all on Arizona highways. But items left on our roadways aren't only ugly, they are dangerous.

Make sure your holidays are merry and bright by securing your load. 

As summer temperatures climb, so does the number of "road gators" we see on state highways.

What part of driving safely happens before you even get behind the wheel? Dallas Hammit, ADOT's state engineer, explains something we all should do.

Following up on Arizona Secure Your Load Day, a driver's jaw-dropping experience at an intersection prompts a reminder that a little common sense can help keep everyone safer.