Whenever you’re all set to pack your car for a road trip, it’s very easy to get carried away, whether the trip is just for the weekend or for a month. In between the bags, you tend to squeeze in every possible camping gear, the last-minute additions, the coolers and all those ‘just-in-case’ items which become a complex game altogether. Did you ever stop to think what could happen if you surpass the carrying capability of your vehicle?
How are you going to measure the carrying capability of your car? Well, you get onboard weighing systems at https://www.kimax.com/ with which you can measure the gross weight of your vehicle before setting out on the road.
Overloading your car is a big ‘No’
Every single vehicle, whether it is a car or a bus or a truck, has got an advisable combined weight for both cargo and passengers. Despite this, most of them don’t have any clear idea of the capacity of a car which is considered as safe. Generally 800 pounds is deemed to be the maximum capacity of a vehicle. Here are few reasons why you shouldn’t ever overload your vehicle.
- Excessive weight lead to your wheels bulging out and it may even lead to heating up which can boost the chances of a blowout.
- Your traction/suspension control won’t be able to tackle highway speeds in an appropriate manner. This will lead to a stress to the suspension system and eventually, the weakest point can lead to an accident.
- Your brakes will become less effective which is a grave concern when you’re on a trip with your family or loved ones.
- Overloading can restrain your capability of steering your car both in round bends and straight lines safely. In case you lose control and hit a pole, this could lead to a serious damage to the car and the co-passengers.
- A sudden maneuvering will definitely turn out to be a spinout.
- In case the backseat of the car is too high, you may find your rear vision not working properly. During this point of time, if you apply the brakes too hard, remember that the gear will still be traveling at 70 miles per hour. This can lead to a fatal accident.
- Gas consumption will be considerably high due to overweight.
- Insurance companies won’t cover damages that are caused in an accident due to overloading of the vehicle.
One more thing to be concerned about is your tires. As the combined weight of cargo and passengers is roughly at 900 pounds, you have to remain concerned about your tires in case you’re sitting at the maximum loading capacity. Drive slowly and keep a close watch on the tires.
When you’re out for a trip, you have to keep in mind all sorts of safety measures so that you can complete your trip safely. Hence, avoid overloading your vehicle if you’re truly concerned about protecting your near and dear ones.