TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If you’ve been driving very long you’ve probably had a close call with debris on the road. DPS and ADOT are urging drivers to do a better job securing their loads.
There’s a collection of carelessness at the ADOT yard near Grant and I-10. The dumpster includes sheets of plywood, chunks of debris, even a plastic wading pool. It’s just a small sample of the debris ADOT workers and DPS troopers pick off the roads—hopefully before it can damage your vehicle or cause a wreck.
Jeffrey Rodriguez has seen his share of debris on the road. He wishes more drivers learned how to really tie down their stuff before it puts someone in danger.
“I know a lot of things like garage sales when people pick up big big items. Definitely look up how to, you know, tie on a dresser, like you're saying mattresses. Just things like that mostly. But it's definitely important.”
DPS Captain Tim Wiedemann says last year in the Tucson area, troopers made more than 17 hundred calls to deal with dangerous debris—and that’s a risk to them when they have to step into the road to clear debris while traffic’s nearby.
“The common thread or common trend right now is ladders, buckets and tire debris. Those are the most of the things I've seen. I've seen a boat that has fallen off a trailer and the driver did not know he lost his full size boat. We have refrigerators, plywood, furniture, anything you can imagine that can fall out of a truck, will.”
Captain Wiedemann says drivers should understand how easily something can blow or bounce out of a truck bed—and how dangerous that can be. The safe solution is good tarps and effective tie-downs.
He says for drivers, it’s a good idea to try to maintain enough space around you so there’s room to avoid debris without hitting another vehicle.
