As the holiday season approaches, countless families make their annual trip to the Christmas tree farm. Bringing home and decorating your tree is a common tradition, but it can be quickly ruined by damaging your car. Know how trees can damage your vehicle and how you can transport yours safely to avoid the need for a visit to the auto body shop.

Common Damages

A survey conducted by AAA found that between 2014 and 2017, an estimated 20 million Americans did not properly secure their Christmas trees to their vehicles and caused damage. Improperly secured trees will fall off on the road, and that debris can cause accidents as vehicles behind you hit it or try to swerve around it. These types of accidents can cause serious damage that sends people to the auto body shop.

Twine wrapped around through the doors to secure the tree to the roof can damage the window frame or the door seal by pulling against it. The process of putting the tree on the roof, taking it off, and shifting it around in transit can scratch up the paint job with the trunk or needles, damaging both the tree and the car.

Tips for Safely Securing It

Only plan to transport your tree if it can fit inside of your vehicle’s cargo area, such as the back of a truck or SUV, or if you have a roof rack. If you do not, find a tree lot that will deliver it for you.

Have the tree netted before leaving the lot, which keeps it contained and more manageable to work with. Put down a thick tarp or blanket underneath the tree to prevent any damages to your paint job. Place it on the roof with the trunk pointed towards the front, keeping the needles from catching the wind, damaging them, or creating extra wind resistance. 

Secure it tightly and give it a tug to check that it’s secure. You can ask the staff at the tree lot for help since they have experience with hauling trees and can ensure you’re ready for transport.

If you have an incident this holiday season, Mike Smith’s Automotive Collision Center in Dothan, AL, will carefully and quickly restore your vehicle. This auto body shop has a team of highly trained, I-Car® certified technicians capable of handling anything from auto dent removal to intensive collision repair. Learn more on their website and call (334) 792-0446 to schedule an appointment.