At-large council member Willie Davis has proposed a new amendment to an ordinance to establish local load securement standards for passenger cars and trucks in Houston after several incidents involving unsecured cargo posing a safety hazard to residents were reported or personally experienced.
Davis suggested the proposed ordinance during a Proposition A committee meeting July 28.
The specifics
The ordinance would require motor vehicles and/or any attached trailers to secure loads or cargo with a securement device of "sufficient strength" to prevent their loads from moving, thus preventing the cargo from ending up on the roads and/or highways, per the ordinance.
The draft proposal also defines load or cargo to mean any material, object, equipment, tool, debris, appliance or goods transported in or on a motor vehicle or attached trailer, regardless of weight. However, the definition does not include live animals.
A securement device is defined as straps, tie-downs, ropes, nets, bungee cords, ratchet mechanisms, chains, containers, tarps, cargo boxes or any manufacturer-approved means used to prevent movement of a load.
Lastly, the ordinance describes moving as shifting, sliding, tipping, leaking, spilling, blowing or falling from a motor vehicle in a manner that may create a hazard.
Why it matters
A presentation at the committee meeting given by Davis noted that the objective of the amendment is to reduce the frequency of the type of public safety hazard that can lead to vehicular crashes caused by road debris. His presentation showed these statistics:
- Over 2,000 requests to 311 were routed to Houston Public Works related to road debris in 2023.
- There have been 17,000 pieces of debris collected by Houston County Toll Road Authority since 2020.
- 1,500 vehicular crashes in Texas in 2023 were caused by road debris.
- The Texas Department of Transportation has reported a 3% yearly increase in road debris since 2020.
Davis said his amendment to the city's code of ordinances has been reviewed by the Legal Department and vetted by the Houston Police Department's Traffic Enforcement Division.
Offering input
Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Castex-Tatum said she wasn't convinced that the ordinance is something the city would need to put on the books as law.
"I'm struggling through the process," she said. "I'm not sure if we need another opportunity for a stop, a citation, when if I was carrying something that I'd already be upset if it fell off. I don't think anyone wants their items to intentionally fall out."
Davis' rebuttal leaned toward accountability, saying the ordinance is about keeping those who carry potentially hazardous items accountable for securing their cargo.
Council member Fred Flickinger also had some questions regarding the enforceability of the code, saying rather than using the word "sufficient" for the securement device, which could be interpreted broadly, that council should just target those who do nothing to secure their loads as a start.
Council member Alejandra Salinas suggested that Davis limit the language to target vehicles that only have loads or cargo sticking out hazardously over a truck/trailer bed rather than the open-ended ordinance that could apply to a small load in the back of a truck, such as a single case of water, she said.
The verdict
At the end of the discussion, Davis said he was open to making some changes to the ordinance that were suggested by council members and withdrew his motion to push the item to the city council agenda. The ordinance will return to Davis' office for revisions and clarifications.
