[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1107 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1107

      Supporting the designation of National Secure Your Load Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 28, 2018

  Mr. Reichert (for himself and Mr. Pascrell) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Supporting the designation of National Secure Your Load Day.

Whereas driving with an unsecured load presents a danger to the traveling 
        public;
Whereas all 50 States and the District of Columbia have regulations that pertain 
        to unsecured loads;
Whereas motorists must recognize their responsibility to make safe and 
        considerate choices while driving;
Whereas the simple, routine act of securely affixing every load makes the 
        Nation's roads safer for all drivers, and these precautions should not 
        be overlooked;
Whereas a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that more 
        than 200,000 crashes caused by unsecured loads and road debris occurred 
        from 2011 to 2014, resulting in approximately 39,000 injuries and 500 
        deaths;
Whereas a 2012 Government Accountability Office report entitled ``Federal and 
        State Efforts Related to Accidents That Involve Non-Commercial Vehicles 
        Carrying Unsecured Loads'' acknowledges unsecured loads and road debris 
        as a serious safety hazard stating that there are approximately 51,000 
        debris-related crashes on United States roadways, killing 440 people and 
        injuring 10,000 people annually;
Whereas the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that 
        in 2016 there were 683 deaths, 19,663 injuries, and 90,266 incidents 
        related to unsecure loads;
Whereas the United States spends approximately $11.5 billion dollars on litter 
        and it is estimated that unsecured loads and road debris account for up 
        to 40 percent of the litter on our roadways;
Whereas the United States recognizes the profound suffering and loss of those 
        harmed by unsecured loads and road debris, and stands in solidarity with 
        those critically impacted by such instances of avoidable tragedy;
Whereas the joint explanatory statement of the committee of the conference on 
        H.R. 22 for the FAST Act, enacted in 2015, stated that ``the conferees 
        are concerned about the dangers posed by unsecured loads on the non-
        commercial vehicles. Federal grant funds for state run safety campaigns 
        raising awareness about the dangers posed by unsecured loads are 
        currently eligible under State Highway Programs (23 U.S.C. 402). 
        Therefore the Committee encourages states to address unsecured loads the 
        next time they submit their State Highway Safety Program for approval by 
        the Secretary (Public Law 114-95)'';
Whereas the State of Washington has one of the strongest laws that includes 
        penalties for those who do not properly secure their loads when driving 
        on Washington State roads;
Whereas, on October 7, 2015, a deadly incident at mile 109.6 on the New Jersey 
        Turnpike in Kearny occurred as a result of mattresses and box springs 
        that were not properly secured, killing the driver of a gasoline tanker 
        when his tanker collided with another vehicle, flipped over the 
        guardrail, and caught fire trying to avoid the unsecured load which 
        obstructed the road;
Whereas June 6 is an appropriate day to designate as National Secure Your Load 
        Day because that date recognizes Matthew Reif of Arizona, 29, who was 
        killed on that date in 2006 when an unsecured 10-pound piece of scrap 
        metal from a truck in front of him smashed through his windshield;
Whereas Robin Abel, an advocate from Renton, Washington, is the founder of 
        National Secure Your Load Day; and
Whereas in 2018, there were 27 proclamations declaring June 6 as Secure Your 
        Load Day with 48 States participating: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of a National Secure Your Load 
        Day to honor the lives of those that have been impacted by 
        unsecure loads and road debris;
            (2) that National Secure Your Load Day is for all drivers 
        nationwide, including noncommercial and commercial drivers; and
            (3) encourages States to promote efforts to raise awareness 
        and address unsecure loads on our roads and highways.
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