Drivers warned they could be fined £5k for putting a Christmas tree in their car

Drivers across the nation could potentially be slapped with a £5,000 fine for incorrectly transporting their Christmas tree home.

While bringing home a fresh pine is the highlight for many over the Christmas period, car sales website Goodbye Car has warned that shoving it in the back of the car in a certain way could land drivers a hefty fine.

According to the research, drivers could face a maximum fine of £5,000 for ‘careless and inconsiderate’ driving in addition to the three points for that indiscretion.

That isn’t very Christmassy, is it?

Another motoring office likely to be committed is ‘causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers.’ This can result in three penalty points which can stay on a driving record for between four and eleven years.

@caragrobbelaar / Unsplash

Police can also dish out on-the-spot £100 fines and three penalty points for the offence, while more serious cases go to court and could result in the maximum fine and disqualification.

Again, not very Christmassy.

But fear not, because Goodbye Car has offered some advice on how to safely store your Christmas tree on its journey home.

Goodbye Car’s Operations Manager Mark Royal said: “Driving your Christmas tree home is an important one to get right for the safety of yourself and others, but with the right knowledge, it shouldn’t be a difficult job.

“Fines can easily be avoided if you properly secure the tree to the roof of your car.”

Here are their top tips:

@skyler_tv / Unsplash

Buy a netted tree

A netted tree is much more manageable and easy to transport in a vehicle – most places that sell Christmas trees know to provide the tree wrapped in a net and, if they’re not already netted, this is a service you should be able to ask for.

Face the tree stump to the front

The best way to position to a tree on top of a car is to have it laid lengthways with the stump facing the front of the car. This limits wind resistance due to the angle of the branches.

Use a roof rack

A roof rack is one of the safest ways to attach a Christmas tree to the roof of a car. Bungee cords or ropes will be needed to secure and tie down the tree tightly to the roof and the roof rack. Tip: Make sure the tree is secured right from the bottom branches to the tip of the tree.

Use your car doors if you don’t have a roof rack

Car doors can be used as another way to safely secure your Christmas tree within the law. Instead of attaching the ropes to a roof rack, open the car doors and tie the ropes inside the car. Once the car doors are closed, it should secure the ropes even further.

Attach reflective tags to an overhanging tree

Depending on the size of the tree, a car roof may not be long enough to accommodate it. If this is the case and the tip of the Christmas tree is hanging over the back of the car, make sure that you attach reflective tags so that other motorists and road users can see how much room to give you.

Drive more cautiously than usual

Transporting heavy cargo like a Christmas tree should have an impact on how you drive. Be careful in particular when taking corners and keep well back from other vehicles to avoid braking sharply – both of which could dislodge the tree from your car roof and be classed as driving dangerously.