Maximise Road Safety with Load Restraint

6 May Blog

This week is road safety awareness week. This week we are reminded of the risk that drivers face on the road each and every day. At Tegral, we are not just passionate about load restraint, but also the safety and security that load restraint provides. ‘Every Load Delivered Undamaged’ doesn’t just mean the cargo that you are transporting, load restraint protects those carrying the load and those around them.

Every year, Australians are killed or injured in crashes caused by unrestrained loads. This happens particularly when heavy objects fall from vehicles onto other vehicles or pedestrians. It can also happen when drivers swerve to avoid falling or fallen items from vehicles, spillage on roads from lost loads causes vehicles to skid and lose control, when unrestrained loads crash into vehicle cabins during emergency braking and when vehicles overturn because of loads shifting while cornering.

Much of this can be avoided purely by complying with the Load Restraint Guide and best practice for Load Restraint. Here are a few basic tips outlined in the load restraint guide to ensure that you are keeping yourself, and others safe on the road:

Planning the load

1. Understand your load.
2. Choose a suitable vehicle for your load type and size.
3. Use a restraint system that is suitable for your load.
4. Position your load to maintain vehicle stability, steering and braking.
5. Check your vehicle structures and restraint equipment are in good working condition and strong enough to restrain your load.

Loading (and unloading) the vehicle

6. Make sure your load is stabilised.
7. Make sure you understand and use safe work practices when loading and unloading a vehicle.
8. Make sure you use enough restraint to keep you and others safe. Driving according to the load and driving conditions
9. Allow for changes in vehicle stability, steering and braking when driving a loaded vehicle.
10. Check the load and its restraint regularly during your journey.

Follow us on social media for more load restraint guidance and tips, and stay safe on the road!

Image source: National Transport Commission