With Christmas coming along in mere weeks, many people have already put up their trees. But before you put any ornaments on the tree, you have to go out and get a tree. Although “fake” trees have become more popular, there are still plenty of families who love taking home a real Christmas tree. Unfortunately, the transporting of the tree tends to be an unsafe process. This post will go over safe ways to get your tree home safely so the whole family can enjoy it.
Transporting Statistics
According to AAA, about 44% of people surveyed said they do plan on transporting a real tree but not in a safe manner. In fact, in the same survey, 20% of people said they were going to strap the tree to the roof, without a roof rack. And to make matters worse, 16% of the respondents said they’ve had a tree fall off their roof while transporting. Of course, it’s very dangerous to not have the proper vehicle or equipment for safety reasons, but not using a roof rack may damage your vehicle as well.
Christmas Tree Transportation
Once you have your Christmas tree picked out and are ready to strap it to the roof, there are a few helpful techniques to make the process safer. To begin, make sure the trunk of the tree is facing the front end of your car. Since the trunk is heavy and sturdy it won’t create a lifting effect as the front end of the tree would. Additionally, tree transport is dangerous if the wrong vehicle is used. SUVs are ideal for transport since they tend to have longer roofs than typical sedans. For those with a pick-up truck and considering throwing the tree in the bed, think again. Local laws may conflict with your plans because cargo can only stick out so far before violating the law. In either case, strap down the tree and give it some hard tugs to make sure it is secured.