Secure Your Load for Safer Roads

Kitsap campaign offers free cargo nets to prevent crashes and roadside litter

Thanks to a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology, the Kitsap County Solid Waste Division will again offer free cargo nets and ratchet straps to help Kitsap drivers properly secure their vehicle and trailer cargo. 

The giveaways are part of the 2025 Secure Your Load for Safer Roads campaign, a statewide initiative to reduce crashes and litter on Washington’s roads. Unsecured loads were responsible for 337 crashes and 32 injuries last year in Washington. They also caused up to 40% of roadside litter.  

In 2024, Kitsap 911 received 388 calls reporting debris on Kitsap’s roads, including lumber, wheelbarrows, ladders, buckets, and more. Each could have resulted in a collision. 

Drivers have three opportunities to receive a free net or straps, which are available in limited quantities at the following locations: 

• June 6, 2025, Secure Your Load Day:
  • Olympic View Transfer Station
  • Hansville Recycling and Garbage Facility
  • Silverdale Recycling and Garbage Facility
  • Olalla Recycling and Garbage Facility 

• June 7, 2025: Port Orchard Farmers Market

• July 25-27, 2025: Whaling Days Festival in Silverdale 

Law enforcement patrols 

From June 3 to 22, 2025, Washington State Patrol troopers will conduct emphasis patrols across Washington to find unsecured loads and hand out tickets or provide education. In 2024, Washington troopers contacted more than 5,300 motorists and issued 532 citations for unsecured vehicle loads.

On June 6, 2025, a Deputy with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office will also provide education to customers at the Olympic View Transfer Station. 

Driving with an unsecured load is illegal 

Fines for failing to secure a load range from $50 to $5,000, with higher penalties for any incidents that result in injury or property damage. Criminal charges may apply in serious cases.

Kitsap County waste facilities charge a $10 fee to customers who arrive with an unsecured load. This fee is required by state and local laws. Since 2023, the county has collected more than $15,000 in fees, which are used for roadside litter cleanup efforts.  

Campaign impacts 

Since the launch of the Secure Your Load for Safer Roads campaign in 2021, customers at Kitsap County’s transfer stations are increasingly securing their cargo. In 2021, 84% of customers took steps to secure their loads. Today, that number has risen to 88%. 

“Most of our transfer station customers secure their garbage and recyclables,” says Sarah Champ, with the Kitsap County Solid Waste Division. “But some folks forget to secure their equipment, which is why 911 receives so many calls about loose tools and debris on the roads. We’re asking all residents to protect the community and keep Kitsap clean by securing all tools, equipment, and materials.” 

The Kitsap Board of County Commissioners has proclaimed June 6, 2025, as Secure Your Load Day in Kitsap County to raise awareness about this issue while honoring and remembering those whose lives were lost or impacted by debris from an unsecured vehicle load. 

Throughout June and July, Kitsap County will share social media content for the campaign using the campaign #SecureYourLoadWA.  

To learn more about this campaign and how you can help keep Kitsap's roads safe and litter free, visit kcowa.us/SecureYourLoad or kcowa.us/SujetaTuCarga.