The Dangers of Roadside Debris
Every driver should stay alert, focused, drive defensively, and be aware of the dangers on the road. A significant danger on the road that does not receive much attention is roadside debris, but drivers should take note. Suddenly and unexpectedly, a driver encounters roadside debris: tires, pieces of tires, particularly large pieces of tires on big trucks, stepladders, tools, straps, boards, trash, scrap, junk, and other objects on the roadway that may hit a vehicle or the occupants inside it. When on the roadway, these objects are hazards to drivers, passengers and vehicles. Roadside debris is a danger to all vehicles, drivers, and passengers, whether rich or poor, citizen or immigrant, or young or old.
Roadside debris may result when cargo improperly tied to or hauled by a truck or car falls off the vehicle and becomes a hazardous object and obstacle on the road. Sometimes, people, particularly adolescents, as pranks, casually toss large objects or debris onto the road. At times, after an ordinary accident occurs, debris is littered on the roadway, but it has not yet been removed.
You should be concerned about roadside debris for two reasons: safety and liability. First, debris on the roadway poses a serious safety issue and causes thousands of crashes yearly, some of which result in death, serious injury, or damage to other cars and trucks; and second, if debris falls from your vehicle, and hurts another or damages the other person’s vehicle, and authorities learn that the debris fell from your car or truck, you could be charged with a crime or ordered to pay for damages and injuries.
Roadside debris causes serious crashes. For example, in Tacoma, Washington, a tool handle on the road nearly bayonetted a driver; in Auburn, Washington, a trucker tried to avoid a loose tire on the road, but in trying to avoid the tire his vehicle flipped and he died; in New York, a driver died after a piece of scrap metal hit him; and in Los Angeles, a stove fell from a pickup and killed a Deputy Sheriff. At times, to avoid roadside debris, a driver suddenly changes lanes or makes an evasive move, both of which may cause a wreck.
If debris falls from your vehicle and the authorities trace the debris to you, you could be cited or charged with a crime. For instance, in Los Angeles, the police charged the pickup driver whose stove fell out of his pickup and resulted in a deputy’s death with vehicular homicide. If convicted, he likely faces a lengthy sentence. In some states, drivers who allow debris from their vehicles to hit the roadway and cause accidents face hefty fines and possible jail time or they can lose their licenses.
If you encounter roadside debris, use common sense. Watch the road ahead, keep an eye on vehicles carrying objects that are tied or stacked in an open bed, atop a car, or hanging from a truck. Keep an eye out for obstacles or dangers. Beforehand, think about how you would react if you encounter a dangerous object on the roadway and plan a safe escape technique. If you carry cargo, make sure it is fully secure. Let authorities know when you spot roadside debris so they can have get it removed.
If you face criminal or civil charges or if you sustained personal injuries or suffered property damage from roadside debris, contact an attorney at once. There are legal defenses to those charges and if you are injured by roadside debris, you may have legal remedies and rights. For answers and legal help, contact Attorney Perry A. Craft.
