Preventing Road Debris When Moving

Don’t Let it All Hang Out 

You’ve probably been there before: the car is all packed up but the trunk just won’t shut. While you could take two trips, your new apartment is 30 minutes away from your old one—what a bummer! You may think that this is the time to get out the duct tape and twine and pray that it will all stay in the car while you drive to your new place, but it’s not. Driving with a load that’s not properly secured is extremely dangerous. Not only can it cause you to lose valuable items, it can also cause accidents if it spills out onto the road. Even worse, there’s a good chance you could be liable if your load spills and causes a car crash. If your trunk won’t close, you may need to take two trips—even if that does add a lot more stress and driving. 

Consider a Flatbed Trailer 

If you’re moving, you may consider using a flatbed trailer to move large furniture. These aren’t too expensive, especially if you’re just renting one, and they’re great for moving large pieces of furniture. However, because it’s a flatbed, that means that there’s a lot of room for stuff to slip, slide, and spill into the road. If you’re using a flatbed trailer, make sure you’re looking out for signs that the load isn’t secure. If your load isn’t secure, you may hear it moving around and rattling. You may also see it shifting around in the rear-view mirror. If you hear or see anything that may suggest your load isn’t secure, you should pull over as soon as you safely can and address the problem. Lastly, you should check the weather before you commit to a flatbed trailer. Stormy weather or weather with a lot of wind can add additional risks, especially if you’re moving something that’s likely to blow away or tip if not secured with the utmost care and attention.  

Tie It Down 

You may think that if you’re using a truck to move items, tying those items down isn’t necessary. After all, the truck bed should keep everything in—right? Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case and the unexpected does happen. If you’re hauling something—for instance, say you’re hauling a large piece of furniture—and you get into a wreck, the last thing you want is your unsecured couch falling out of your truck bed and causing another accident (which you could be liable for causing). Items that are lighter or are more likely to tip over in the event of some bumps in the road should be tied down even if you don’t imagine that you’ll encounter any conditions that will make the items fly away or tip over. Remember, you never know what’s going to happen. You could get into an accident where the items you move fall out of your truck bed and cause another accident. 

Remain Seated 

It’s either the stuff or your passengers. Ideally, your stuff will fit with your passengers in the car. But if you’ve got to choose between your stuff and your passengers, you’re going to have to make two trips. You should never allow people—especially children—to ride in your car without being seated and wearing a seatbelt. Injuries can be more severe when a person was not seated and/or wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. These circumstances may also affect their personal injury claim if an unbuckled and/or unseated person is injured in a car accident. If you have so much stuff that your passengers cannot safely fit in the vehicle, you will have to choose between transporting your stuff and transporting your passengers. Allowing your stuff to hang out of windows, or the trunk, or having your passengers hold on to the items hanging out of the car is never a good idea. 

When in Doubt, Consider a Van or Moving Truck 

If you do not feel comfortable securing a load, it may be time to consider renting a van or a moving truck. While you may not love the idea of renting a truck just to move a mattress, tying a queen-sized mattress to the top of your Fiat might not be the brightest idea you’ve had this year—especially if you don’t know how to safely secure a load. If you aren’t comfortable with tying down your items, consider renting a van or truck to move them.   

When Spills Happen 

Sometimes we do everything in our power to prevent a spill and it still happens. If you spill your load on the freeway, it’s important to report it so that it can get cleaned up as soon as possible. Pull over when you can safely do so and report the spill. Do not walk into the road to clear the spill yourself—especially if you’re on a road where the speed limits are high (such as a freeway). 

When You’ve Sustained Injury Due to Negligence 

If you’ve sustained injury due to another driver’s unsecured load, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical expenses and other accident-related costs. At Moxie Law Group, we’re here to help injured parties get the compensation they need to make a full recovery. Contact us today to get started with your initial consultation at no cost to you.

Unsecured loads and road debris cause thousands of preventable crashes every year. If you were injured in a collision caused by debris or a poorly secured load, our Utah car accident attorneys are ready to help you understand your rights.