Driving Home From A Lumber Store? These Actions Can Lead To Accidents And Injuries

12 September 2018
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Whether you work as a contractor, a woodworker, or someone who is always tackling different renovation projects around the home, you might frequently find yourself making trips to and from the lumber store in your community. During the ride home, your car will often be loaded with various types of lumber, which may not always be secured properly. Failing to adequately secure your lumber can be easy to justify when you're in a hurry and the drive is short, but it could increase the likelihood of you being in an accident that results in injuries and potential legal action. Here are some lumber-related actions that you should seek to avoid.

Unsecured Wood On Your Roof

Lots of people will carry large pieces of wood on the roofs of their vehicles because it doesn't fit anywhere else. It's easy to set a piece of plywood on your roof and wrap some rope around it, believing it to be secured. Some motorists will even drive with the window down and their hand hanging onto the wood. It's important to realize that the wood can easily shift during travel and slide off the roof entirely. It could slide down over your windshield, causing you to hit another vehicle, or fall off the back or side of your roof and hit another vehicle.

Wood Sticking Out Of Your Trunk

It's OK to carry things that stick out your trunk a little, but many motorists who are traveling with wood make the mistake of having the wood hang out too far. This is especially a problem when you make turns. For example, unless you get in the habit of widening your turns, the length of the wood can cause it to make contact with a vehicle beside you. This could cause the wood to scratch the vehicle, break some glass, and perhaps even hit the driver or a passenger.

Wood Spanning The Inside Of Your Vehicle

Lots of drivers carry boards and other types of wood inside their vehicles by having one end of the wood rest on the dashboard, while the other end sits in the trunk with the backseats dropped down. While the wood won't interfere with other drivers in this position, it could impede your ability to see. For example, if a thick plank is between your two front seats and sitting on the dashboard, you might struggle to look to your right. This could cause you to make an unsafe turn, leading to an accident. If you've been in an auto accident in which your load of lumber was to blame, be sure to hire a car accident attorney.