The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is launching a statewide effort to increase enforcement of Arkansas’s Cover Your Load law in an effort to reduce roadside litter, improve highway safety, and save taxpayer dollars.
State officials say litter remains a costly problem across Arkansas. ARDOT currently spends nearly $10 million every year removing trash from more than 16,000 miles of state highways.
Transportation officials believe a significant amount of roadside debris comes from unsecured loads falling from trucks and trailers. Besides creating litter, those items can become dangerous obstacles for motorists, law enforcement officers, and highway maintenance crews.
After spending the past year focusing on public education, ARDOT says it is now partnering with the Arkansas Highway Police to increase enforcement throughout the state.
The initiative begins by notifying trash haulers, landfills, dump sites, and elected officials about the increased enforcement effort. Highway Police officers will also conduct additional patrols along known commercial hauling routes, watching for unsecured cargo and improperly covered loads.
Officials emphasize that the campaign is focused on achieving compliance rather than issuing citations. By encouraging drivers to properly secure their loads before entering Arkansas highways, ARDOT hopes to prevent dangerous debris from ever reaching the roadway.
Transportation leaders say a successful program will produce cleaner highways, improve safety, reduce cleanup costs, and allow more transportation funding to be invested in highway construction, maintenance, and bridge improvements instead of litter removal.
Anyone with questions about Arkansas’s Cover Your Load law can contact the Arkansas Highway Police at 501-569-2421. Information about the Adopt-A-Highway Program and other litter prevention efforts is available through Keep Arkansas Beautiful at 501-569-2227.
Leave a Reply