What this topic covers
How you load affects handling and safety. This covers securing loads, carrying children safely, roof racks, and the rules around towing a trailer or caravan.
Practice questions
Q1Carrying a heavy load on your roof rack will:
A roof load raises the car's centre of gravity and increases drag, affecting stability, handling and fuel use. Secure it well and drive accordingly.
Q2Who is responsible for making sure a load is secure?
The driver is responsible for the vehicle and its load being safe and secure at all times. An unsecured load is dangerous and illegal.
Q3A child under three years old travelling in your car must normally use:
Children under three must use an appropriate child car seat. There are limited exceptions, but a proper restraint is required in almost all cases.
Q4Before towing a trailer you should check that:
Make sure the load is secure and you stay within the towing weight limits for your licence and vehicle. Check the lights and coupling too.
Q5Overloading your vehicle can:
Too much weight makes the car harder to steer and stop and can damage tyres and suspension. Keep within the maker's limits.
Q6Children must normally use a child car seat until they are:
A child must use the correct restraint until they are 135 cm tall or 12 years old, whichever comes first; after that they use an adult seat belt.
Q7When towing a trailer or caravan, your speed limit on a dual carriageway or motorway is usually:
When towing, the limit is generally 50 mph on a single carriageway and 60 mph on a dual carriageway or motorway — lower than for a car alone.
Q8If a trailer or caravan you're towing starts to snake (sway from side to side), you should:
Gently ease off the accelerator and keep the steering steady; harsh braking or steering can make the snaking worse.
Q9Who is responsible for making sure a child under 14 wears a seat belt or child restraint?
The driver is legally responsible for ensuring passengers under 14 use the correct seat belt or child restraint.
Q10A trailer you tow must have:
A trailer needs working lights, reflectors and a number plate matching the towing vehicle, and the load must be secure and within weight limits.
Q11A heavily loaded car will generally:
Extra weight increases stopping distances and changes how the car handles, so allow more room and brake earlier.
Q12A load carried on a roof rack should be:
Tie roof loads down securely so nothing can shift or fall, and avoid dangerous overhangs. Remove the rack when it's not needed.
Q13Carrying more passengers than there are seat belts is:
Everyone needs a proper seat and seat belt. Don't carry more people than the car has belts for.
Q14To keep a trailer or caravan stable, the load should be:
Spread the weight, keep it low and roughly over the axle, and secure it — this reduces the chance of snaking.
Q15You must never fit a rear-facing baby seat in a front seat that has:
An inflating airbag can seriously injure a rear-facing baby. Never use one in front of an active airbag — deactivate it first.
Ready for the real thing?
Mix this topic with all the others in a full, timed mock test.