OFFICERS have issued an important reminder about vehicle safety and the dangers of overloaded vehicles after stopping a car that was heavily laden while leaving a car boot sale.
Officers became concerned after spotting a vehicle travelling with a roof load stacked unimpressively high – and topped off with a large pink unicorn making the journey too.
While eye‑catching, the load highlighted a serious road safety issue.
Overloading any vehicle is dangerous. All vehicles are designed to carry only a specific weight. Exceeding this limit can significantly affect how a car handles, brakes and responds in an emergency. An overloaded vehicle can:
Take much longer to stop
Be harder to steer, especially at speed or on bends
Increase the risk of items coming loose and falling into the road
Put additional strain on tyres and suspension
Loads carried on roof racks also raise a vehicle’s centre of gravity, increasing the risk of loss of control.
After a successful car boot sale trip, it can be tempting to squeeze everything in at once.
Our Roads Policing Unit officers, road safety specialists, are urging drivers transporting items to and from car boot sales to take time to check their vehicle is safe and legal before setting off and should:
Check their vehicle and roof rack weight limits
Spread the load evenly
Secure items properly
Avoid stacking goods too high
Make multiple journeys if necessary
While it may be tempting to fit everything in one trip, safety should always come first.
If it looks like too much, it probably is.
Not only were none of the items on the roof secure, the MOT expired several months ago, the headlight was held in place by tape, the front bumper was secured by a bungee cord, the front number plate was missing, only one brake light working and the driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt!
While this stop raised a few eyebrows – and smiles – the message is an important one. Police regularly stop unsafe vehicles to prevent incidents before they happen.
Road safety enforcement isn’t about spoiling anyone’s day. It’s about keeping everyone safe on the road or heading home from a car boot sale!
