ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
Katie recently asked, “Is it legal to place trash on your car in a gated community in order to bring it to the trash compactor?”
"The key part of this question is knowing where it is applying to," Trooper Steve said. "Katie paints a picture of what I see being a large apartment-type community that happens to be gated. Being gated plays a huge role as it then becomes private property without public access, making things much different than just driving on a normal road."
But can you get in trouble for traveling with a bag of trash on your vehicle?
"If kept in the neighborhood the answer is no, but if you forget and end up on a public road, then, yes, you can be cited," he said. "I’d also check the lease agreement to make sure you don’t have to follow some random rules that might be in the fine print."
Ultimately, drivers should make sure their view is not obstructed and that the trash is not going to fall off the car.
"Maybe your trunk would be a better option for the transport of your trash," Trooper Steve said.
Florida Statute 316.520 covers the topic of securing things to vehicles in a public setting: