Question:
‘I have a question about the 'securing your load laws'. We were
following one of the big garbage trucks the other day and plastic
bags/other garbage was blowing out of it. A plastic garbage bag hit our
window and stuck to it and we had to pull over to get it off. It was
good that it stuck to the passenger side of the windshield or my mom
would not have been able to see. Are garbage trucks exempt from the law?
Answer:
Garbage trucks are not exempt from covering their loads or otherwise
preventing the material from escaping. All loads must be secure;
covered or tied down. If an Police Officer had witnessed the incident,
the driver of the truck could have been cited.
There have
been numerous tragedies involving unsecured items falling from
vehicles and severely injuring other motorists; most States have
adopted Laws making it a criminal offense if the falling
material/items causes substantial bodily harm or property damage.
If you can
do it SAFELY, get the license plate of the vehicle that is ‘loosing
its load’ or a vehicle description (make/model/color) and call 911
to report it. Make sure to provide the 911 Center with the
roadway/highway you are on, cross street/mile maker/exit number and
direction of travel. Most large trucks have the company name on
the side of it.
What if you don't have a cell phone?
ASKACOP.org
