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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Whenever I see them, I move out of the way.
And you should, too, when you come up behind vans and trucks transporting ladders stacked to high heaven, tied down with bungee cords, rope, wire and who knows what else.
It’s insane, and unsafe.
No laws regulate the weight and height of a load or how it’s battened down.
Floyd said he’s willing to write a bill that addresses the matter, but he doubts it would travel far. He’s a Democrat in a state legislature controlled by the other party.
“Perhaps this might be something (State Rep.) Tom Rice (R-Peachtree Corners) could write a bill on,” he said.
Where you live can dictate your view on matters. When you don’t see something day in and day out, it may not resonate. It’s not home.
Generally, it takes a fatal accident or two to wake people up, to propel them to action. A.C. Hutcherson, traffic sergeant for Gwinnett County police, said he can’t recall any incidents in which a falling ladder led to the death of a motorist.
But we don’t have to wait for a tragedy to propel us to action. We can be proactive and address an issue that stares a good many of the county’s residents in the face every time they motor out of their subdivisions.
Rice, chairman of the state House Motor Vehicle Committee, lives in Peachtree Corners, west of I-85. He doesn’t view this as a public safety issue, at least not in the same vein as speeding or DUI. His constituency must not see what we see over my way.
“There is a difference,” said Rice, who has served on the motor vehicle committee for 10 years. “In my years on the committee, I don’t remember one bill having to do with this issue at all.”
Then I told him about the things we see in other parts of the county, at any hour, anytime. Vans with two rows of ladders five and six deep. Some with the proper racks, some without. Some with wheelbarrows and saw horses on top (see photo).
Before our conversation ended, Rice admitted the situation deserves a look-see.
“Logically, if they are stacking 20 ladders on top of a van, it’s going to be a problem,” he said. “I agree with you. It might be worth looking into.”
Out in Henderson, Nev., a businessman has invented “Hook-um Dano” ladder locks. It’s a $28.99 Ladder Lock so you can double-stack ladders. That means stack only two, not several.
Dan Deeter, president of Ventura/Deeter International, said the Hook-Um Dano Ladder Lock is designed to secure only two ladders. He doesn’t recommend stacking more than that, anyway.
“Too dangerous,” he said.
Until laws are written or drivers exhibit common sense, we should all take Deeter’s advice. “Pull to another lane,” he said. “It’s just not safe.”
Hook.Um Dano Ladder Locks
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