It may have happened to you — you’re driving down the highway and suddenly you see debris fly out from a large truck ahead of you.
For this installment of Carolina Curious, listener Cortney Chappell wants to know why sometimes these types of vehicles don’t have a cover on the back to keep litter from falling out.
As it turns out, this kind of thing is regulated under North Carolina state law and the language around it is pretty clear. No vehicle can be moving on a highway if it can’t prevent its contents from "falling, blowing, dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping therefrom."
The language is specific for some large vehicles: The load has to be secured by a tarp or some other suitable cover. Chris Knox, first sergeant with the state highway patrol, says for a commerce vehi