The dangers of overloading your car
Our cars do a lot of work in our everyday lives, transporting not just us, but our luggage, shopping, and all the paraphernalia associated with our families and lifestyles. There are many of us that are due a bit of a car clear out!
Whilst our cars are more than capable of carrying cargo proportionate to their size, as motorists we need to be careful not to overload our vehicles, as it can come with some pretty serious consequences.
So what are the dangers of overloading your car?
It stresses your brakes and suspension
With the car overloaded, the weight of the vehicle makes it harder for your brakes and suspension to work effectively, wearing them out quicker, and having you reaching into your pocket for replacements sooner than you would have ordinarily.
You’re increasing your fuel consumption
Your car has to work harder to get going with extra weight on board. This means, you guessed it, it burns through fuel quicker! In today’s climate, it’s kinder to your budget to ensure that your car is as fuel efficient as possible.
It lengthens your stopping distance
More on board means there’s more to bring to a stop, which, when you need to brake quickly, can have a result that can be extremely dangerous. We don’t need to spell out what the consequences of impaired stopping distances could be!
It wears your tyres out quicker
When your car is having to work harder to get going, it can cause your tyres to wear quickly, and, in some cases, to even overheat. Blowouts do happen, and overloading your car makes it more likely.
It affects the steering
When there’s not an even distribution of weight within your car, you may find, for example, that the car veers to one side - your car is basically off balance! A car that’s overloaded is harder to control - and it’s pretty obvious to passers-by that there’s too much onboard.
It puts you at risk of a fine
It’s no surprise that with such significant safety concerns, there is a punishment if you’re found to have overloaded your vehicle, which can reach up to £300! This would also mean that 3 penalty points get added to your licence too.
How to avoid overloading your car
Your first port of call is finding out how much weight your car can actually carry, which should be detailed somewhere in your vehicle’s handbook in correspondence to the vehicle’s VIN number. This should give you a steer as to what you can reasonably fit in your car, and from there it’s all about how you load it. Keep the heaviest items low down in the car to assist its centre of gravity, and ensure everything you load is evenly distributed to maximise your vehicle’s handling.