Securing your load
I have been waiting for just the right time to talk about securing and transporting a non-commercial load. With the first long weekend of the summer upon us I think now would be the perfect time.
I have worked as a traffic reporter through many a summer weekend and have witnessed everything from large appliances, furniture, bikes, boats, mattresses, suit cases, and yes even a kitchen sink, ending up on the highway.
As many of you head out to open the cottage or to go camping you may want to bring a lot of items with you. So I would like to cover some basic safety tips.
First of all, when you are packing the car, make sure that items in your vehicle do not block your view. Secondly, and very importantly, make sure you check your tires. Low tire pressure can be a big problem especially if your vehicle is carrying more weight than usual.
Secondly, if you are pulling a trailer, OPP Sergeant Cam Woolly tells me that around 150 vehicles with trailers will likely be pulled off the road this long weekend alone, and they will not be allowed to continue until required repairs have been made and safety standards have been met.
So before you head out with your trailer make sure it is fit. The break lights must be working. You must have a safety chain and the tires need to be in good shape and properly inflated. Heavier trailers (more than 3,000 lbs) are required to have their own brakes and these brakes need to be in working order.
Also, you need to remember that your vehicle will handle differently when it is pulling a trailer. For example, the stopping distances increase and you need to reduce your speed on curves. It is recommended that if you are hauling a trailer you should try and travel in off-peak hours.
If you are pulling a trailer with a boat it’s not good enough to just secure the boat. You have to make sure that whatever is in the boat like life jackets, coolers and fishing rods etc., have been secured as well. As Cam Woolly says, just because something stays in the boat when it’s sitting still does not mean that those same items will remain in your boat when you are traveling down the highway at 100 kilometres an hour.
So how do you safely secure a load? Whether it is a load in a trailer that you are hauling or it’s something you are carrying on the roof of your vehicle you need to use the proper securing devices. There are straps with ratchets, as well as tie downs that have load limits.
Remember, gravity alone is not necessarily going to keep an item down, no matter how heavy it is. It is also a good idea to stop at each service centre as you travel so you can do a quick walk around of your vehicle and/or trailer to make sure everything is still secure and working properly.
If the unfortunate incident occurs where something does fall off your vehicle or trailer, you can be charged with having an “unsecured load”, and you are legally responsible for any damage that may ensue. However, do not try and retrieve the lost item unless it is safe to do so. It is best to call *OPP, or even 911 if there is the chance that the item could cause serious damage.
Please have a safe, happy holiday.