Today, U.S. Representatives David Reichert (R-WA-08) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), co-Chairs of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, touted their recent introduction of House Resolution 1107 supporting the designation of National Secure Your Load Day on June 6 to help stem the problem of road debris causing severe accidents on American roadways.

“Highway safety is an important issue, and one that means a lot to me,” said Rep. Pascrell. “In 2015, there was a deadly incident on the New Jersey Turnpike in Kearny. The driver of a gasoline tanker was killed when his oil tanker collided with another vehicle, flipped over a guardrail, and caught fire trying to avoid an unsecured load which had fallen off of a vehicle and obstructed the highway. There have been so many similar tragedies across the country. Congress should bring greater awareness to this problem, and establishing a National Secure Your Loads Day would do just that.”

“Each year, thousands of drivers are injured as a result of unsecure loads and road debris on our nation’s highways,” Rep. Reichert said. “This resolution honors the lives of those who have been impacted, including the daughter of my constituent, Robin Abel. After her daughter was catastrophically injured by an unsecured load, Robin has dedicated her time and energy to raising awareness about these avoidable tragedies. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I am proud to introduce this resolution to highlight the need to make our roads safer by securing loads and preventing road debris.”

A former member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Chairman of the Congressional Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force, Rep. Pascrell has been deeply engaged in this issue of road safety. The new resolution cites a crash in Kearny, New Jersey on October 7, 2015 that caused the death of a Newark truck driver and devastating damage on the New Jersey Turnpike. The accident was precipitated by unsecured mattresses that had fallen off of the roof of a van.

When he was in the New Jersey State Assembly, Pascrell also was the author of law requiring snow and ice be removed from the tops from vehicles on the road.