As a motorcyclist with years of experience navigating Paris's bustling streets and freeways, I thought I'd seen it all. But since moving to Perth, I've had some heart-stopping encounters. Sure, I've had my mandatory Australian initiation with kangaroos (a story for another day 😅), but that's not what keeps me awake while riding.
What really gets my heart racing are the unsecured loads I've encountered, especially on utes. In just the past few months, I've had four near-misses: a stepladder that decided to play jump rope with my bike, a plumber's bucket performing an impromptu circus act, a plastic pipe trying to joust with me, and just yesterday, a gardening rake attempting to sweep me off Leach Highway.
For this last one, I caught up with the driver two kilometers later to alert him about the danger. His response? "Sorry mate, didn't notice. By the way, did you grab the rake?" Yes, because catching flying garden tools while riding a motorcycle at 100km/h is totally part of my daily workout routine. 🙄 While I managed to avoid these obstacles, each incident left me shaken, knowing how differently these stories could have ended.
Let's talk about the law: Under the Litter Act 1979, unsecured loads that fall from vehicles are illegal and can result in a $200 on-the-spot fine. But I believe we need stronger measures. A fine seems inadequate when we're talking about potential loss of life.
My proposal is simple: make cargo nets mandatory for all utes carrying tools and equipment. It's a small investment that could save lives. Currently, while there are guidelines recommending load restraints, they're not strictly enforced.
We need:
- -> Mandatory cargo nets for all utes carrying tools and equipment
- -> Increased roadside inspections focusing on load security
- -> Higher penalties for unsecured load violations
- -> Regular public awareness campaigns about proper load securing
To my fellow tradies and ute owners: I understand the rush of daily work, but those extra two minutes securing your load properly could prevent a tragedy. To our political representatives: it's time to strengthen our laws and enforcement around load security.
Don't get me wrong – I fully support speed enforcement on our roads. But isn't it ironic that while we have speed cameras every few kilometres on our freeways (and yes, my wallet knows this all too well 😉), we seem to pay far less attention to flying stepladders and acrobatic garden tools? Perhaps we could spare a few of those speed camera resources to spot-check load security, especially on our major highways where unsecured items become even more dangerous at higher speeds.
Let's work together to make our roads safer for everyone. Have you had any close calls with unsecured loads? Share your experiences with me! 🏍️