Unsecured loads resulted in 30 deaths in Arizona from 2018 to 2022, figures show
ADOT officials talk about road debris dangers
From pipes to ladders and crates, people have seen debris on roadways in the Phoenix area, and ADOT officials are reminding people to secure their loads, especially as statistics show a number of deaths can be linked to these debris in recent years. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas reports.
PHOENIX - Officials with the Arizona Department of Transportation are reminding drivers to secure their load, in order to prevent debris from ending up on highways.
When debris ends up on freeways and highways, however, it can cause accidents.
"I've always seen a lot of debris on the interstate," said one woman, identified only as ‘Brittany.’ "I see a lot of vehicles not tarping their debris or their heavy loads down."
Brittany was a victim of roadway debris. In May, a large pipe hit the car in front of her before hitting her own car.
"It, like, flew right immediately in front of me, and there was a vehicle behind me, so I couldn't stop or move over," Brittany said, who is now left with damages to a car she relies heavily on to get her daughter to doctor's appointments.
"It's just frustrating too, because drivers who are doing this aren't thinking about the safety of other drivers," said Brittany.
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ADOT, along with DPS, are tasked with removing roadway debris, and they remove them more often than one might think. On June 7, we spotted, on ADOT cameras, DPS troopers removing rrash on the Loop 202 near McKellips Road and Williams Field Road, as well as a Christmas tree blocking an on ramp off the Loop 303.
"ADOT sees a lot of different objects that land on our Valley freeways, from boxes to mattresses and furniture and appliances," said ADOT Spokesperson Kelsey Mo. "Since [May 2023], ADOT's Incident Response Unit has responded to over 4,200 debris calls, most of those being tires and ladder debris, and also mattresses."
According to Maricopa Association of Governments, over 30 people died on Arizona highways due to unsecured loads from 2018 to 2022. In 2022, there were 1,100 crashes related to dangerous debris. ADOT officials say not only is it unsafe for drivers, but also those who are tasked with moving the debris.
"From ADOT's perspective, we remove the debris from the highway, and then we throw them in a maintenance yard, essentially, where it's later collected and trashed," said Mo.
ADOT officials say people who see debris in the road should treat it like an emergency, and call 911. That way, it gets removed as quickly as possible.