Whether you’re moving to a new home or have just bought something that you’re trying to bring back to your house, there may come a time where you’re trying to fit something bigger than normal into your car. While this can be done safely in many instances, when done incorrectly, you should have your items cause you to have a car accident or create an accident for others in the road. 

To keep this from happening to you, here are three tips for moving big items with your personal vehicle. 

Keep Your View Clear

No matter what you’re loading into or onto your car, the most important thing to remember is that you always need to keep your view clear. 

According to Jeff Collins, a contributor to Angie’s List, you need to situate your items so that you can see clearly out of every window. Without this, you’ll have some blindspots that could result in you not being able to see things around your car that could cause you to get in an accident. Additionally, when you load up your car, you also want to ensure that nothing will slide around on the floor, especially under the driver’s seat. If this happens, you could have a hard time operating the vehicle in the event that something gets under your brake or gas pedal. 

Try An Overhead Carrier

If what you’re wanting to move with your car either won’t fit inside or is too big to safely move, you may want to consider trying an overhead carrier.

To make the best use of this, Diane Schmidt, a contributor to The Spruce, recommends that you get a carrier that will protect your item from whatever weather you’re experiencing as well as allow you to keep the item secure. As long as the roof of your car can handle the weight, an overhead carrier could be something that you use on a very regular basis. 

Get The Right Equipment

Before you can safely move anything that doesn’t easily fit into your car, you’ll need to be sure that you have the right equipment to keep this item safe and secure. 

To ensure that you get all of the equipment that you might need, Marian White, a contributor to Moving.com, recommends that you start with ropes, bungee cords, or straps that you can use to tie things down. These can be beneficial both for inside and around your car. Just make sure that you don’t try to secure anything in or on your car with the wrong equipment, as this could potentially make for an even more hazardous situation. 

If you have some large items that you’re wanting to move on your own, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how you can safely do this.