Two Guardia Civil officers involved in a routine patrol were injured when their vehicle was in collision with logs which had fallen from a truck transporting them.
This particular incident occurred in Alconada in Soria in January of 2014, but is serves as a timely reminder that it is important to make sure that any load being carried in or on a vehicle is secure at all times. During the Christmas period there are often more trips made on the roads, sometimes carrying presents and gifts, sometimes with extra loads as families go to stay away from their homes.
Objects inside a vehicle become projectiles in the event of a collision or sudden braking and can cause damage to both the people inside the vehicle and the vehicle itself, such as smashing windows.
Loads carried outside the vehicle must be secure and fixed firmly. In this case they became loose. There are also restrictions to loads overhanging vehicles, aimed at safeguarding those outside and surrounding your car.
The result of this incident could have been considerably worse than it was for those involved.
The officers were lucky to walk away with only minor injuries whereas the truck driver was charged with driving with an insecure load and speeding.
This story contains links to some of our archived articles about carrying loads in vehicles. Please click the links to learn more.