Transportation safety

How can you stow small and large objects safely and properly? Read the tips here!

How can you stow small and large objects safely and properly? Read the tips here!
The necessity to secure heavy loads and animals for trucking purposes seems obvious. Why water bottles and mobile phones should be securely stowed while driving is not so clear for many people. The hazards posed by "small loads" is frequently underestimated. In the event of an accident or full application of the brakes, every object in a vehicle will try to continue moving at its original speed. As a rule of thumb, you can say that an unsecured load will impact with up to fifty times its weight in the event of a frontal crash at 50 km/h. This means even small objects can turn into veritable projectiles, creating a serious danger for those in their path.

Here are a few simple measures to help you securely stow small and large transported objects:

• In general, use the trunk for transportation purposes
• Small items such as sunglasses, cell phones or small change are best stored in the glove box or appropriate special storage compartments
• Handbags or drinks crates can be positioned securely in the foot well of the unoccupied front passenger seat
• Push transported objects in the trunk as far as possible toward the back of the rear seat
• With heavy transported objects, additionally stabilize the rear seat bench by fastening the three-point seat belts
• Especially with station wagons, fit a luggage separation net or grille
• Fit non-skid mats in the trunk or on the load bay floor
• If you have to stack objects, the heavy items should be at the bottom and the light ones on top
• Where possible, lash the load down with appropriate belts or chains