Your Vehicle Does Not Have to Look Like This To Be Dangerously Overloaded!

It may surprise you how easily you can put yourself and others at risk by overloading your vehicle. It is easier than you may think to exceed the load capacity limit on your vehicle, even when the vehicle does not appear to be overloaded and you are within your auto's seating capacity.   As an accident attorney, I suggest that with the Holiday travel season upon us, now is a good time for all of us to be reminded of this danger and to take the time to find out our vehicle's maximum load capacity.

For example: A Honda Accord has a seating capacity of 5 and a load capacity of 850 pounds. Load capacity includes passengers and all cargo.  If all 5 people weighed 150 pounds, that would leave 100 pounds for luggage (20 pounds each) before overloading the vehicle. These facts are something to take into consideration when piling in the car to go to the airport or on a road trip, for the Holidays.

Beware - An overloaded vehicle poses many dangers, here are a few:

Overloaded vehicles:

• Are less stable, more difficult to steer and take longer to stop - increasing the risk of roll-overs, rear-enders, and other serious accidents. This also makes responding to emergency road situations much more difficult.
• Can cause tires to overheat, leading to blowouts and severe crashes, especially if the tire is under-inflated.
• Are unable to accelerate quickly, leading to difficulty in proper judgment when it comes to passing.
• Cause brakes to overheat and loose their effectiveness.
• May invalidate your auto insurance policy.

Remember: Exceeding permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle damage, accidents, and personal injury.  Check your vehicle's load capacity today!

For more information:

Staying Safe If You Overload Your Car 

Too Fat For Your Car?     

How much weight can my car safely hold?