As the holiday season approaches, many South Africans are preparing to take to the roads to reach destinations around the country. When it comes to packing a vehicle, motorists should take care to pack their vehicles correctly to ensure the safety of all passengers and other road users. Goodyear has provided some handy tips for packing your car, here’s what you need to know.

Car packing tips

Safety first – Avoid carrying passengers unrestrained due to large, bulky items. Install child seats before packing the vehicle as you may not be able to do so once the vehicle is loaded. Passenger safety and comfort always comes first.‘Last in, first out’ – Be mindful of ‘must haves’ and pack all the items you will need during your journey last. This will ensure that they are easily accessible on the road when you need them. Make sure you have enough food, drinks, nappies, medicine and kids entertainment to last the duration of your journey.Secure luggage – Avoid loose items around the driver’s feet. Always pack heavier items at the bottom of the boot and as far forward as possible to lower the centre of gravity. Do not store luggage items in the passenger cabin as these could be dangerous in an emergency situation.



“Tests of leading automotive clubs have illustrated how dangerous a simple glass bottle or kids’ toy can become during an emergency braking situation. An item that seems to be light at first sight accelerates enormously in the event of emergency braking – even at relatively low speeds, hitting front passengers with a multiple of its actual weight,” says Liz Hayward, Goodyear Group Brand Communications Manager.

Avoid over packing – Avoid packing above the line of the back seats. Over packing can reduce the driver’s rear vision and loose luggage items can be dangerous in an emergency braking situation. Use a cargo net to secure the luggage or as an alternative, use a trailer, roof racks or a roof box for additional luggage items.Plan for a puncture – If you don’t have RunOnFlat tyres fitted to your car, ensure that you get all passengers to a safe place before preparing to change a tyre or calling for help.Roof Packing – Care should be taken to consider the extra height, weight and resistance when loading items onto the roof of your car. Roof loads increase drag and roof luggage should be stored in a roof box with respect to the weight restrictions of the car.Pets – To ensure the safety of pets and passengers in the event of an emergency situation, keep all pets secured using a safety harness or transport them in well-ventilated crates.Adjust Driving – The manoeuvrability of a vehicle changes when heavily loaded. The extra baggage and additional passengers’ means there are more distractions, less visibility and the stopping distance of the vehicle is much longer.

Remember, obey the rules of the road, respect other road users and don’t drink and drive.