auto body repair shop blog
Packing Your Car for a Holiday Road Trip
The holidays can be stressful for many reasons. Is your family traveling “over the river and through the woods” to grandma’s house this year? Our friends from Carwise have a few tips to help make sure your holiday road trip is a smooth one.
Pack it safely.
Be sure to pack only essential items – because the heavier your car is, the longer it takes for it to stop. And, driving on wet or icy pavement just makes stopping a loaded-down vehicle even more treacherous. Here are some other safety tips when packing your vehicle:
- Starting towards the center of your cargo area, load heavier items like suitcases first. Use lighter items, including pillows and coats, as fillers around heavier ones.
- Don’t stack items too high, as doing so could obstruct the driver’s ability to see other vehicles in the rear-view mirror. Improperly stacked items can also shift and injure back seat passengers if you have-to brake suddenly or swerve.
- Distribute weight evenly because uneven weight distribution can cause handling problems on curvy roads or during windy conditions.
- Carefully secure any items or carriers that are attached to the luggage rack or rooftop. And, don’t stack rooftop items too high, as passing under a low bridge might knock them off into the path of another motorist. It’s always a good idea to take your vehicle on a practice run first to make sure all rooftop items are safely secured.