Do’s and don’ts of decking your drive
If your car is just like Santa’s sleigh delivering goodies to friends and family this festive season, you may be tempted to decorate it to get in the Christmas spirit.
But are there things you should know before tinselling your side trims?
Decorations on the naughty list
Don’t decorate with bits and bobs that will limit visibility, interfere with airbags, become a dangerous projectile, or that could distract you and other road users.
Strings of fairy lights are a beautiful Christmas trimming. However, affixing any kind of lights to the inside or outside of your car is a no-go; the glare and reflections can limit your visibility, and they are dazzlingly distracting to you and other road users.
Instead, leave the pretty lights for the houses in your neighbourhood, or go for a drive to Lobethal and see how the experts do it.
While adding fake snow to your car might make you feel a little cooler while driving around in the summer heat, it’s not a good idea. Spraying artificial snow on any of the windows can obstruct the driver’s visibility. It isn’t great for the car’s paint either.
Ready to switch your rear-view mirror fluffy dice to hanging Christmas ornaments? Think again. Hanging items at any time of year from the rear-view mirror can block your view while you’re driving and even land you with a fine.
Decorations on the nice(ish) list
Keeping potential safety risks in mind, here are some additions that can be fun for the festive season. As long as these decorations are secured tightly with no risk of dislodging, and aren’t a distraction, they can be added to your car.
Surprisingly, tinsel is technically on the nice list, both inside and on the outside of your car, as is turning your ride into the most famous reindeer of all. However RAA Senior Manager for Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain recommends thinking twice before adorning your car with external bling.
“Ideally, decorations like tinsel, reindeer antlers and a red nose should be avoided,” Charles says.
“However, if drivers insist, the decorations must be fitted securely so they don’t detach when driving at speed.”
Vinyl stickers and decals are fine as long as they don’t limit visibility by covering large sections of window. Dashboard bobbleheads are also okay as long as they’re secured and won’t launch if you stop suddenly. The only time Santa should be flying is on Christmas Eve with his reindeer – not through the inside of your car.
Do you decorate your car during the festive period?
Go your hardest with festive-themed seat covers if wrestling them on just for the silly season is a length you’re willing to go to. But first, check if your car has airbags within the seats. If so, only fit seat covers that are approved by the vehicle manufacturer – otherwise the airbags may not work in a crash.
It is legal to protect your hands from being roasted like a Christmas ham with a properly fitted steering wheel cover. However, as Charles says, make sure they are suitable for your vehicle, securely fitted so they can’t slip and don’t restrict deployment of the airbag in the steering wheel.
“Modern vehicles have airbags located around the interior of the vehicle,” he says.
“It’s essential that items don’t block your airbags, as they can limit the airbag’s effectiveness at protecting you in a crash.”
Of course, you can wrap yourself up in the festive spirit too and dash about town in your finest Christmas hat and Santa suit. Just be careful with any costume pieces like Santa’s beard or a Grinchy mask, as anything that impairs your visibility to the front, sides or rear is not allowed.
It’s also important to note that some insurance companies consider any decorations on a car to be a vehicle modification, which can potentially affect an insurance claim should you need to make one.
Getting your Christmas tree home
While a plastic tree might not have the same magic as a real one, it does have the advantage of fitting neatly into a box that easily fits into most cars. The struggle to get the tree back in the box later might have you saying things that’ll put you on Santa’s naughty list.
If you’ve opted for a live tree instead, remember that you can’t chop it into pieces and reassemble it later. It’s Christmas, not Halloween.
If a trailer isn’t an option, it’s legal to secure a tree to the roof of your car if you have roof racks, following the same rules for carrying long loads.
The tree can’t overhang dangerously, which means less than 1.2m to the front of your vehicle, 15cm on each side and, depending on the length of your vehicle, a maximum of 3.7m to the rear axle (or no more than 60 per cent of the vehicle’s total wheelbase). Unless you’re trying to put a 5m tree in your living room, these limitations shouldn’t be a problem.
Charles says if you follow these tips to deck your car safely this festive season, you’ll be on Santa’s – and the police’s – nice list this Christmas.
“May your headlights be bright and your roads safe and merry.”
Have a road rule you’d like to unwrap?
RAA’s road rules elves can help answer your motoring questions.