A motoring expert has warned that overloading your car or van with Christmas presents could see you slapped with a hefty points and even a driving ban.
Many people rely on personal transport across the festive period, for things like gifts, groceries and even the Christmas tree.
But these items can quickly pile up and obstruct views through windows and mirrors - as well as exceeding a vehicle's weight limit, which is a recipe for disaster. CEO of ClickMechanic, Andrew Jervis, said: "Many of us are reliant on our vehicles over the busy festive period, whether it’s taking gifts or Christmas trees home from the shop or embarking on a road trip to spend the big day with loved ones.
"But the risk lies in overloading our cars with quantities of items that can block our view of the road, posing a danger to ourselves and other road users. It’s absolutely essential that the driver can see a clear and full picture of the road through the vehicle’s windows and rear mirrors, and avoid creating blind spots.
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"Meanwhile, it’s important to be careful that the weight of the load does not tip the vehicle’s overall weight past its safe limit. We should always take care when packing our vehicles, whether it’s with gifts, suitcases or a tree, to ensure our own safety and to avoid falling foul of the law."
Wales Online reports that blocking a rear window is not illegal in itself, so long as the car has two fully functioning wing mirrors. However, you should make sure that you don't open up any blind spots which make it impossible to see other vehicles and potential threats on the road.
If you have a Christmas tree in transit, you must ensure that it's secured and restrained so it doesn't cause a hazard. Meanwhile, you should also consider how the weight of extra baggage effects the maximum weight the vehicle can hold. Rule 98 of the Highway Code, reads: "You must not overload your vehicle or trailer.
"You should not tow a weight greater than that recommended by the manufacturer of your vehicle."
For breaching the code, drivers can be handed a £50 fixed penalty. Motorists can also see their insurance invalidated should they be involved in an accident when their vehicle is overloaded. And should authorities deem it as driving in a dangerous condition, you could even see a £2,500 fine, three penalty points and a driving ban.
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