Washington Trooper Warns: I’m Hunting for Unsecured Loads Saturday

WSP Trooper Will Be Looking for You This Saturday

A Washington Patrol Trooper has warned he will be looking for unsecured loads this weekend, but will it help?

Washington State Patrol Focuses on Unsecured Loads

Over the last few weeks, Washington State Patrol has made an emphasis on stopping unsecured loads in Washington State. National Secure Your Load Day was June 6th and police departments have been trying to get the word out with patrols and social media. The problem has been that the message does not seem to be working very well. Almost every day, Washington State Troopers have been posting about different stories they encounter of unsecured loads and the damage they cause.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Gives Warning

One Washington State Patrol Trooper must be tired of it because he warned all of Washington State "I’ll be out on Saturday for six hours specifically looking for unsecured loads in our area." The threat comes because over 300 crashes a year are caused by unsecured loads and 5 people were killed in 2022 alone. That WSP Trooper, Chris C. Thorson, covers District 3 in Washington State including Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties. If you live in one of these counties and try to drive with an unsecured load, get ready for a fine.

The Reason Unsecured Load Laws Exist

Secure Your Load started right here in Washington State when a woman named Robin Abel almost lost her daughter when a piece of particle board struck their car on I-405. back then, there were no State or Federal laws making unsecured loads a crime. After a fight, HB-1478 was passed making the fine for driving with an unsecured load in Washington $228. Also, if anything falls out and causes bodily harm or property damage, the driver faces "gross misdemeanor charges and penalties of up to $5,000 and/or up to a year in jail" according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.