AAA tips for hauling your Christmas tree
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it's about time to pick up this year's Christmas tree. But driving home on icy roads with your tree could spell trouble.
If you plan to buy a real Christmas tree this season and get it home yourself, experts at AAA ask that you be careful.
"What's interesting is 60% of the people who have hauled a live Christmas tree before have had it come off or out of their vehicle," AAA Idaho Public Affairs director Matthew Conde said. "So there's a lot of learning curve that goes with doing this. The right way."
An improperly secured tree can cause up to $1,500 of damage to your vehicle alone, not to mention other vehicles on the road.
A safe drive home starts before you even get in the car.
"You want to put down some blankets or things to protect the top of your car and you want to put it trunk first, tying it in three places. the bottom, the middle, and the top pull on it from all kinds of different directions. Make sure that it's really in good shape," Conde said.
In addition:
- Wrap the tree in netting before you secure it to the roof
- Come prepared with strong nylon rope or ratchet straps
- Take a less populated route
"You want to reduce your risk. And so one of the ways you do that is to take those back roads whenever possible. But, you know, it comes down to also having the right vehicle for the job. so looking at either a minivan that you can take seats out of and sling it in the back or having that roof rack or a really long bed of a truck to get the job done," Conde said.
