Do dump trucks have to cover the loads they haul?

“The load on a vehicle shall not drop, sift, leak, or otherwise escape therefrom …,” reads Louisiana R.S. 32:383.  

“Any load of garbage, refuse, sludge, and other discarded material being transported by a commercial hauler shall be covered while being transported in such a manner as to prevent the load from spilling or dropping from the vehicle.”

Covers must be fastened securely, the law says, and haulers who violate the provision can be fined up to $500. 

The statute defines “loose material” as “dirt, sand, gravel, nails, or other material that is capable of blowing or spilling from a vehicle as a result of movement or exposure to air, wind currents, or weather.”

The definition excludes “agricultural products in their natural state” and “wood chips.”

For more info: www.legis.la.gov.

 

Chief: Westlake police monitor I-10 in city

I have been observing for some time the Westlake Police Department issuing citations for traffic violations on I-10 at the bottom of the I-10 bridge for traffic going in both directions.

Do the Westlake police have authority to enforce laws outside the city limits on traffic that has not entered the Westlake city limits?

“Where my officers sit and monitor traffic on the interstate is located inside city limits of Westlake,” Chris Wilrye, Westlake police chief, wrote in an email.

“Drivers are monitored committing violations inside the city limits of Westlake on the interstate.”

 

LC code addresses residential parking

Is parking huge company equipment in a driveway allowed, forcing the cars of all tenants to park on the street?

“In residential districts, single-family units must have at least two off-street parking spaces,” Lake Charles city spokesman Matt Young wrote in an email.

“On-street parking is not prohibited in residential areas generally, as long as the vehicle does not occupy more than 30 percent or more of the width of the surface of the street. On certain streets, parking is prohibited, and a sign denotes this.”

The city code says “commercial vehicles” — except school buses and emergency vehicles — “are prohibited in all single-family and multifamily uses.”

The code defines “commercial vehicles” as “those exceeding one ton in size with advertising or special equipment which distinguish it from private automobiles”; “any vehicle used for commercial purposes, except passenger vehicles used for to and from work’; and “all vehicles with more than two axles, except motor homes used for recreation and not used in commerce.”

For more info: www.cityoflakecharles.com.

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The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.