The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is conducting a statewide “Secure Your Load” emphasis from April 27 to 29 to bring awareness to the importance of securing your load.

Penalties can range from a $228 citation all the way to criminal charges if property damage or injuries result from the unsecured load.

Last year the WSP contacted 6,268 vehicles for failing to secure their load, according to a press release.

Unsecured loads caused 170 collisions last year on our state highways and 16 of these collisions resulted in injuries.

“The WSP would like to remind drivers to take the extra time to make sure their load is secure. Those few extra minutes could save a life,” read the release.