’Tis the season of searching for the perfect Christmas tree! While finding the right one may be tricky, getting it home safely can be challenging, too. AAA Northeast reminds drivers that, with a little preparation, the right tools and the right vehicle, transporting a Christmas tree is easy, and you’ll be decking the halls in no time!
An improperly secured Christmas tree can scratch vehicle paint, tear door seals or bend window frames. Even worse, a tree can fly off or out of a vehicle and cause a traffic crash. AAA research shows that road debris causes crashes directly, when vehicles are struck by falling debris or strike debris, and contributes to crashes indirectly, when drivers crash while swerving or stopping short to avoid debris.
From 2018 to 2023, road debris was a factor in an estimated 319,724 crashes nationwide, resulting in 32,802 injuries and 433 fatalities, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
AAA offers the following tips to ensure Christmas trees are transported safely.
- Plan ahead. Before heading out to buy a real Christmas tree, make sure to bring strong rope or ratchet straps, an old blanket and gloves. A vehicle with a roof rack is ideal, but a pickup truck, van, minivan or SUV large enough to fit the tree can work just as well.
- Wrap and cover it. Have the lot wrap the tree in netting before loading it. Loose branches can also be secured with rope or twine to help protect the tree from damage. Prior to loading the tree, cover the car’s roof with an old blanket to prevent scratches to the paint and protect the car from any damage.
- Tree trunk in front. Place the tree on the roof rack or in the bed of the truck with the trunk facing the front of the car. If the vehicle doesn’t have a roof rack and is large enough, place the tree inside.
- Secure it. Tie down the tree at its bottom, center and top using strong rope or nylon ratchet straps. Avoid using the nylon string offered by many tree lots, which may not be strong enough to secure the tree. Use fixed vehicle tie-down points and loop the rope or strap around the tree trunk above a branch to prevent any side-to-side or front-to-rear movement.
- Tug test. Once tied down, give the tree several strong tugs from various angles to make sure it’s secured in place and won’t come loose.
- Nice and easy. Drive slowly and take back roads, if possible. Higher speeds can create significant airflow that can damage your tree or challenge even the best tie-down methods. Remember that your car will work a little harder to transport the tree, and you might feel the added drag from the additional wind resistance caused by the tree.
State-specific data:
In Connecticut, road debris contributed to roughly 380 crashes in 2024, up nearly 19% from 2023, according to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository. Over 60 of those crashes resulted in injuries.
In Massachusetts, road debris contributed to roughly 280 crashes in 2024, an 8% decrease from 2023, according to the Massachusetts IMPACT Crash Data Portal. Over 50 of those crashes resulted in an injury.
In New York, road debris contributed to over 3,400 crashes in 2024, a 6% increase from 2023, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety’s Traffic Safety Statistical Repository. More than 470 of those crashes resulted in injuries and five resulted in a fatality.
In New Jersey, road debris contributed to 1,645 crashes in 2024, up nearly 7% from 2023, according to Numetric. Over 180 of those crashes resulted in injuries and three resulted in a fatality.
Based in Rhode Island, Jillian Young is AAA Northeast’s director of public relations. She regularly appears in local TV, radio and print media to discuss traffic safety, travel, insurance and more.
