New road signage will remind us all to ‘secure our load’

||| FROM HEATHER WALLACE for ORCAS RECYCLING SERVICES/THE EXCHANGE |||

In the coming months, San Juan County will be adding new road signage on Shaw Island, Lopez Island, Orcas Island and San Juan Island to continue to promote and encourage the need to Secure Your Load for Safer Roads.

The blue signs will mirror existing county designs for roadside signage, display the Washington State RCW references, and will be placed in high traffic areas where it will be visible to both locals and visitors.

“We have been pleased to work with the San Juan County Department of Environmental Stewardship on this program,” says ORS/The Exchange Executive Director Pete Moe. “We hope the signage and messaging we are designing together will help bring some awareness to the problem of poorly covered loads.”

During the final two weeks of the Secure Your Load for Safer Roads campaign San Juan County will be giving away four cargo net kits to help support efforts to properly secure vehicle loads.

Entrants must be 18 years of age or older and live in San Juan County to be eligible. To enter, simply tag a friend in the comments of one of the Giveaway posts that will go live on Instagram (via @exchangeorcas) and Facebook (via @The Exchange / Orcas Recycling Services) between May 18 – May 25, 2022.

A random drawing will be held on May 27, 2022 with the winner being announced on Instagram and Facebook on or before May 31, 2022. The full rules and disclaimer will be included in the posts.

Secure Your Load for Safer Roads will be an ongoing message throughout the county.

Residents are encouraged to continue to educate themselves, their neighbors, friends and family, and visitors. Resources will continue to be available on the ORS/The Exchange webpage.

“Secure your load as if everyone you love is driving in the car behind you,” says Robin Abel, a King County resident and secured load advocate whose daughter Maria was severely injured by an unsecured load.