SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thousands of vehicles hit the highways every day. And one of the dangers drivers face out on the road is debris. Whether something fell out of a vehicle or from under, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) says scale or weigh stations across the state are used, in part, as a safety net-- at least for big rigs.
CHP Officer Mike Harris says big rigs are required to pull over at the scale stations to do a weight check and officers use that time to also inspect them for safety.
“[We do a] once-over vehicle inspection to make sure that they are traveling with the requirements of the law, the logbooks of their weight to make sure all of their items are secured property,” said Harris.
When inspecting oversized commercial vehicles, CHP officers have a checklist. Part of that includes looking at wear and tear, checking for leaks, making sure everything is secured and not hanging or dragging.
In 2017, the most recent year of data, CHP officers inspected nearly 500,000 trucks. During those inspections, officers found more than 380,000 equipment violations. Over the weekend, a passenger was injured when a large metal bar pierced the car she was riding in and impaled her leg. This incident happened on Highway 99 near Fruitridge Road in Sacramento.
Harris says this case is currently under investigation. He added CHP is not sure if the metal bar fell out of the big rig or if it was on the highway and the big rig kicked it up.
"It’s not very common that something...this drastic comes up and causes that severe of an injury. We are grateful that she wasn't hurt more in this incident,” said Harris.
So, what do you do if you see an overloaded vehicle with an unsecured load or dangerous debris on the road?
"If you see something that looks unsafe on the roadway, call 911 and report it to our dispatchers,” said Harris.
He also says there are things you can do to protect you and your family.
"The most important thing we can talk about it the time and distance and giving yourself the opportunity to respond to whatever happens on the roadway. Avoid distractions. You need to be aware and constantly watching what is going on around you,” Harris said.
Harris says it is the responsibility of the driver to make sure their load is secure. All situations are different, but if something preventable happens, you could be held liable.
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