Kitsap County designates June 6 as Secure Your Load Day; staff report drop in unsecured loads at transfer stations

The Kitsap County Board of Commissioners on May 12 adopted a proclamation designating June 6, 2025, as Secure Your Load Day, part of an ongoing county campaign to reduce road debris and crashes tied to unsecured vehicle cargo.

Caitlin Newman, program supervisor in the Public Works Solid Waste Division, told commissioners the campaign — begun locally in 2021 through state grants and county outreach — has distributed more than 2,000 free cargo nets, ratchet straps and tarps to help drivers secure loads. Newman said the county also charges a $10 fee at transfer stations for vehicles arriving with unsecured loads; since 2023 more than 15,000 customers were charged that fee and the revenue funds county roadside cleanup.

Newman cited statewide and national figures while asking for the proclamation: "In 2022, there were nearly 900 deaths nationally," she said, and she added that in Washington unsecured loads typically cause about 300 crashes each year. Kitsap 911 received more than 380 phone calls last year reporting road debris, Newman said.

For the county's recent campaign measurements, Newman told the board that in 2021–22 about 16% of transfer-station customers arrived with no tie downs; preliminary data collected this week and last week indicated about 3% of customers made no attempt to secure cargo, meaning about 97% were either fully secured or showed a good-faith effort. Newman cautioned the measurement is not an exact science but characterized the early trend as encouraging.

Newman described other program elements: Washington State Patrol emphasis patrols in June to look for unsecured loads, outreach at the county transfer stations by Deputy Sean Montague of the Sheriff's Office, giveaways timed to the campaign and participation at the Wailing Days Festival in Silverdale. The campaign also includes public education materials and an appeal to residents to "Secure your load as if everyone you love is traveling in the vehicle behind you," she said, quoting campaign founder Robin Abel.

Commissioners moved and approved the resolution proclaiming June 6, 2025, as Secure Your Load Day in Kitsap County.

Newman said additional outreach and giveaways will follow the proclamation and that staff will continue to monitor program outcomes.