Tips on driving with a heavy load

When you have passed your test and been driving for a while, you might find yourself driving with a heavy load.

For instance if you are going on holiday then you might have lots of stuff that you need to take with you and also perhaps you will have a roofrack on the top of the car that also has been loaded. How will this affect the driving experience for you?

Well first of all you should ensure that if you have a roof rack or similar that you use one from an authorised dealer and are sure to follow all the instructions carefully in order to ensure that it is fitted and secured correctly.

One point to note is that you will find that you use up a little more fuel with a roof rack and this is because it increases the air resistance on the car so it needs to work slightly harder and therefore use more fuel to move a given distance.

When you are driving in a straight line you may not be too aware of the heavier load, but when you are going around corners you may well be more likely to notice that the car handles differently, so be particularly careful particularly when travelling with a heavier load for the first time and get suitably accustomed to the different driving conditions.

Bear in mind there is a possibility that the tyre pressure should be increased with a heavy load, the car handbook will be able to tell you about this.

If you have a roof rack, as mentioned nesure everything is secure and therefore are not going to move position when you steer and turn around corners. If something should fall off them it can be very dangerous, for obvious reasons. If the item cannot be retrieved safely then you will quite likely need to contact the police.

Related Articles...

driving theory test
Various road markings you might find
Many drivers who are good at interpreting and understanding what a large range of road signs mean are not so good when it comes to road markings. Some drivers appear to not even really be...

What to do if horses are on the road
It may sound quite rare, but actually on country journeys you will from time to time encounter horses and their riders using the road. And you may also come across other animals too. When you...

What causes accidents: speed
There is a well known saying from safety campaigns which simply says that "speed kills". Although many people think that you have to be travelling really quickly in order to make an impact...

Driving Theory Stopping Distances
Stopping distances refer to the distance that you car is going to travel from the time that you decide that you need to press the brake through the time that the vehicle physically stops...

What signs with a percentage mean
When you are driving in some places, the roads will be up and down in terms of gradient, which refers to how the height of the road changes as you move along it, just like on a hill. When you...

Prepare for driving theory tests
In order to pass tests, whether they are academic tests at school such as english, geography, spanish, french and so on, or to pass some other one - like theory tests - the methodology that can be...

What to do in an accident situation
If you do have an accident, then you must stop. Whilst you may read about people driving away from the scene of an accident, you should always stop and face up to any responsibilities involving...

Motorway Driving Tips
Driving on a motorway for the first time can be both exciting and a little daunting - exciting as it is something new whilst daunting as you won't have experienced driving on a motorway before...

Rules regarding the use of seat belts
When it comes to seat belts, you should be certain of what the rules are with regard to seat belt usage, and your responsibilities as the driver in terms of other passengers in your vehicle and...

Nervous Driver Tips
Many people who learn to drive have a combination of nerves and excitement. Even if someone says they have no nerves and are perfectly confident when it comes to driving, the first time you get...


Back to home page of driving theory test questions