Surely many of you will choose to travel by car this summer. Among many other advantages, traveling by car offers the possibility of carrying more luggage than with other means of transport, although everything has a limit which, especially when traveling with family, we often overlook — and we may be putting our safety at risk. At Auto Cristal Ralarsa, we are committed to your safety and that of your companions; therefore, today we are going to give you some tips so you can load your car with luggage safely.

How to load the car?

To remind you of the correct and safe way to load the car, here are some rules to follow:

  • Luggage in the trunk: Forget about loading the interior of the car cabin. Whether you have passengers seated in the back or not, placing heavy objects in the cabin—either in the front or in the rear—can be very dangerous, since in case of an accident they can cause very serious injuries. Keep in mind that any object, in a collision at 60 km/h, has its weight multiplied by 56 due to inertia. Thus, a small bag weighing just 2 kg would become a 112 kg object.
  • Limits: Loading the car has limits, not only in terms of space, but also in size and weight. We often load the car until it will not close, and we should not do that. The vehicle manual specifies the maximum authorized weight. At the same time, we must take into account the capacity of the trunk, and if you need more space, we recommend getting an approved roof rack such as a cargo box. In this ITV article, you can consult the regulations on luggage transported on roof racks. Also remember that luggage should not protrude forwards, backwards, or to the sides of the car, and in cases where there is no alternative, it may only protrude at the rear by 10% if divisible and 15% if indivisible, and always marked with the approved V-20 plate measuring 50 x 50 cm.
  • Luggage properly secured: Whether the luggage is on the roof or in the trunk, it is important that it is properly secured to prevent it from destabilizing the vehicle, which could be very dangerous.
  • Maximum visibility: Another important point is that the luggage must not compromise the driver’s visibility. Normally, when loading the car, even if we only put luggage in the trunk, we tend to block some of the driver’s viewing points. This is the case when we place large objects on top of the trunk shelf. From both the rear and side views, the driver must have as much visibility as possible.
  • Other details: There are other small tips that will make your trip more comfortable and safe. One of them is to fasten the rear seat belts, which in case of an accident provide extra protection by preventing the luggage from entering the cabin. Something else you can do to avoid inconveniences with the luggage is to take out everything you might need during the trip before loading the car, so you don’t have to move the luggage until you arrive.

Always remember that the important thing is to arrive, so it is worth taking a little extra time to load the luggage safely. At Auto Cristal Ralarsa, we hope you enjoy your holidays traveling by car, and remember that if you have any problem with your vehicle glass, you can find us anywhere in Spain.