Recently I witnessed a pickup truck with a canoe in the bed pulled into a McDonald’s Restaurant. Apparently the fishing was not all that good for the outdoorsman. Or maybe he wanted a burger instead of fish. What drew my attention was the traffic violation. To be a little more exact, the load violation.
To transport the canoe in the bed of the truck was fine. As long as the canoe was securely tied so as not to move around or come free and float down the road it was legal. What was not legal was the failure of the driver to attach a red light or red flag to the rear most protrusion of the canoe.
Since the canoe was more than four feet from the bed of the truck, a red flag or red light is required. The canoe was probably close to six feet beyond the bed of the truck. Just like a load of lumber placed in the bed of a truck and hanging over, the red flag is required. In fact every lumber yard where I have purchased wood gives red flags away.
I once investigated an accident where a driver rear ended a john boat protruding beyond the four foot limit. Yes the driver rear ending the john boat was charged with following too closely (ACD), the driver of the truck with the boat was also charged for not having a flag. Back then the red light was not required but the flag was.
As for the rest of the vehicle, nothing can protrude further than one foot beyond the side. There is no height limit, but at a point is starts becoming an unsecure load. Common sense goes a long way here.
Following is the Ohio Revised Code Section 4513.09 titles Red light or flag required. By the way, the reference to 4513.03 requires the red light when lights are required to be illuminated.
4513.09 Red light or flag required.
(A) Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends to the rear four feet or more beyond the bed or body of such vehicle, there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at the times specified in section 4513.03 of the Revised Code, a red light or lantern plainly visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the sides and rear. The red light or lantern required by this section is in addition to the red rear light required upon every vehicle. At any other time there shall be displayed at the extreme rear End of such load a red flag or cloth not less than sixteen inches square.
(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.
Effective Date: 01-01-2004
