With the arrival of Easter and once the worst moments of the pandemic are over, many drivers have a holiday trip planned for the next few days.
When loading the trunk of the car, it is necessary to have good planning, with which we gain in safety and also in consumption. According to Mario Arnaldo, of Associated European Motorists, the first thing we will take into account is to “make a good plan to know what we really need” to avoid overloading the car with unnecessary things.
With this in mind, the heaviest things, not the largest, should be placed at the bottom and closest to the seat in the trunk “so as not to unbalance the vehicle’s stability point”. For the same reason, we shouldn’t put all the weight on one side either.
In addition, we must secure all luggage perfectly, as a loose object could be projected into the passenger compartment of the car and hit us in the event of an accident.
We also need to clear the line of sight of the rearview mirror of packages. In addition, when the car is loaded, it is highly recommended to check the tire pressure, because a poorly adjusted car can cost us more fuel.
•Try to place all objects in the trunk of the car, even the very light ones, and position the load in a balanced way so that it does not affect the stability of the vehicle.
• Arrange the packages so that the heaviest ones are at the bottom: the largest and most rigid suitcases should be placed at the bottom and the rest of the luggage at the top, and if possible tie them to the attachment points in the trunk.
•If the load does not fill the trunk completely and there is a possibility that it will move, it must be secured with elastic “octopuses” or nets.
•Do not place objects on the rear parcel shelf that obstruct the driver’s view or on the rear parcel shelf, as sudden braking will cause them to become projectiles and seriously injure passengers.
• Fasten the seat belts in the rear, even if there are no passengers. It is an additional support that helps prevent luggage from moving from the trunk to the passenger compartment.
•It is not advisable to carry luggage on the roof of the car. The best roof racks are the closed or boxes, conceived as airtight cases, with a lock and an aerodynamic shape.
•When transporting bicycles, secure them securely, especially to prevent accidents from drivers behind your vehicle. Normally there are 3 attachment points: the two wheels (via adjustable tires) and the attachment of a diagonal bar. Before loading the bicycles, remove all accessories that could fall (jerry cans, odometer, pump,…). Please note that you will need to slow down with the bikes mounted as the aerodynamics will be affected.
•Do not attempt to fill the trunk. This is partly because you then buy objects (it always happens) that end up in the trunk.
•It is important to remember that the behavior of the car changes when it is loaded. In addition to the power loss, which becomes more apparent the smaller the engine, the braking distance also increases.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
