{"id":17482,"date":"2020-12-07T08:19:53","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T14:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/?p=17482"},"modified":"2020-12-06T19:21:18","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T01:21:18","slug":"aaa-urges-drivers-to-safely-secure-real-christmas-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/2020\/12\/07\/aaa-urges-drivers-to-safely-secure-real-christmas-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"AAA Urges Drivers to Safely Secure Real Christmas Trees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-35320\" title=\"AAA\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarksvilleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/AAA.gif\" alt=\"AAA\" width=\"200\" height=\"122\">Nashville, TN <\/strong>&#8211; This year, more than ever, families are likely eager to bring some holiday cheer to their lives. This could mean shopping (and doing so early) for a real Christmas tree.<\/p>\n<p>However, nothing will make you say \u201cbah humbug\u201d faster than losing the tree you just bought on the drive home and creating hazardous situations for other drivers. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_475016\" style=\"width: 490px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarksvilleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Driving-your-Christmas-Tree-Home-Safely.jpg\"  class=\"thickbox no_icon\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-475016\" class=\"wp-image-475016 size-medium\" title=\"Real Christmas trees can become dangerous projectiles if not properly secured. (AAA)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarksvilleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Driving-your-Christmas-Tree-Home-Safely-480x320.jpg\" alt=\"Real Christmas trees can become dangerous projectiles if not properly secured. (AAA)\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-475016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Real Christmas trees can become dangerous projectiles if not properly secured. (AAA)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>AAA is reminding drivers this holiday season to properly secure and transport their real Christmas trees so everyone can safely enjoy the holidays.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReal Christmas trees can become dangerous projectiles if not properly secured,\u201d said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA \u2013 The Auto Club Group. \u201cDrivers who do not safely secure their Christmas tree risk damaging their&nbsp;vehicle and littering the roadway with dangerous debris.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>According to AAA:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Previous research from AAA found that road debris &#8211; which could include objects like improperly secured Christmas trees that fly off cars, landing on the road or on other cars &#8211; &nbsp;caused more than 200,000 crashes during a four-year period, resulting in approximately 39,000 injuries and 500 deaths.<\/li>\n<li>Vehicle damage that results from an improperly secured Christmas tree, such as scratched paint, torn door seals, and distorted window frames, could cost up to $1,500 to repair.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s best to transport a Christmas tree on top of a vehicle equipped with a roof rack, but a pickup truck, SUV, van or minivan can work just as well.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Tips to Safely Shop for Your Real Christmas Tree:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Do not visit a tree lot if you or anyone from your family has tested positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing COVID-related symptoms.<\/li>\n<li>Call the lot ahead of time and ask about their policies for visiting. It is possible they may have reduced operating hours or are limiting the amount of people who can visit the lot at one time. It is also a good idea to ask when they are slow and plan to visit then, when crowds may be smaller.<\/li>\n<li>Although most lots are located outside, it is recommended to wear a face covering and practice social distancing. Bring hand sanitizer and keep it nearby while shopping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Tips to Safely Transport Your Tree:<\/h3>\n<p>Transporting a real Christmas tree is the same as hauling any other kind of large object. Making sure the tree is properly secured will help prevent vehicle damage and lessen the chance of it coming loose and creating a potential hazard for other drivers.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Wrap &amp; Cover It<\/strong> \u2013 once you\u2019ve found the perfect tree, have the lot wrap it in netting before loading it. Loose branches can also be secured with rope or twine to help protect the tree from damage. Also, prior to loading the tree, cover the roof with an old blanket to prevent scratches to the paint and protect the car from any damage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trunk First<\/strong> \u2013 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 does not have a roof rack and is large enough \u2013 place the tree inside.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Secure It<\/strong> \u2013 tie down the tree at its bottom, center and top using strong rope or nylon ratchet straps. Avoid using the nylon offered by many tree lots. 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<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tug Test<\/strong> \u2013 once tied down, give the tree several strong tugs from various angles to make sure it is secured in place and will not come loose.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nice &amp; Easy<\/strong> \u2013 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[470center]<\/p>\n<h3>About AAA &#8211; The Auto Club Group<\/h3>\n<p>The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 14&nbsp;million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories.&nbsp;ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more.<\/p>\n<p>ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA\u2019s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety.<\/p>\n<p>For more information, get the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net_ls_click-3Fupn-3D4tNED-2D2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUcS43pfx5qiWX6L72gzyHNxBNK3c6hVxJzpfyMWWA9j-2D2FpEM1PPw5FzouY2KvnguS0IzOhEYUVHzG6mLD-2D2F-2D2Feq7YrOH990bNJI62jBp3-2D2FUROawyI4B3pzV-2D2F8ZXdK9v2o4WGg-2D3D-2D3DmL44-5FalacBM6DOIHd9gUQl-2D2FZ6v5U7EzRJYR1N4AhD-2D2FDQEhBM-2D2F8AiJ0dHhekGcVuKqLt1OqiMl8Tp4xAm9CMy1-2D2BehWqfFiys3NOcBEHsLAwt6c2e-2D2BAl-2D2BN6xYNYp0-2D2F2MRP6a4w0vNOsjUbz2n-2D2BfNVRxKg8yxmuLTEOyvfgaiIGWkdmlshDz5-2D2FetbXHo3GSvF0h5-2D2FYawP4gjgOmTU2Cys5pfm0-2D2FXv5Gcjm1lsqumGWrTSOMnlrtR40BRsuzvpJ34K7S-2D2Bd7EWSYe2DJZufi2KWMbLNL5WIMfwkGf2-2D2FdvkD2osfllzo4CalLEftObft2oyQMKpmlvq2oqZpObeO7omOrkk2MgegOaH86muFnVqSiNAViVqtSU-2D3D&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=eNuipZQSSZ-V2OUyrfaYLSftczBV2p4CfLkxUOKUdcA&amp;r=ab8A1wH-TNtjuDlOLqp5uOBik9rivJ17XJebqd6n3C4&amp;m=0zGfrbV3eBxvhBDQqb1dZvWGBX3OfmJYD4rT1lahLKg&amp;s=RnwNZd0Av5bR9KmGa6inKBemtZTm_G2CeLQtmeekeeE&amp;e=\" >AAA Mobile app<\/a>, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.proofpoint.com\/v2\/url?u=https-3A__u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net_ls_click-3Fupn-3D4tNED-2D2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUY8dR6yXd9OVtkiouNQ5CO7drOVwz4Z72uqqo7glD2OHdh91LfQsBlVZqp-2D2BvQPYS18W9C6BscoAbFy-2D2Fz5nnkL-2D2Fyq6-2D2BSvMobSkJnTf81ZZEKX-2D2FuvFTgDt3MF8XngK3tXqpYQYU9XmDCJzVrt-2D2FLn50tAfldX1-2D2BEpL7Y9RZ5qsVYnz08XPthnTG0PgCabAcK7n6B7LMnnBaCZ3VHYkJHib9E68WMMFIPzegpswLsR7Rc7N9MGIfJJjSk2FMdnUt7YN4EWg0BIMSSMuIL4SsO7Qs3u7FdejK6ViVpKo-2D2FkiuPnV8e09i020ehzWZSZ9TVtpz-2D2Bu-2D2F3JRErAOh9h4yXfuGqEpT-2D2FTr3zxmo9u9HR4meq0NqDqhxXSDOPvc1t468MrcYOhxUCatA6MNZ5lPQDr11q0-2D2BrAg2nMd-2D2FrgiLpmgPQPn5hkUr0uDFJYXVPjD8rFz8ZoESAjKGfsEVMpYLaHj2JBxU4o4Jji8U99BnwlGf-2D2Bs2YeEwfgcIrd2y5HsrIaV6DeFZunTs-2D2BTsToNBEs2QXK6VpLFoS-2D2BX6ws9QJDqYWwwfQ9IS9hYesvp6oSLff9JEyRjXO6O0dWGip8HrP4O5Tb2Kqyp459Ts8ernqjpuylGoE20LK3df0pJxHknK7AUgELDeViy4DkSV-2D2Fhog9XW1yvsmCb6P7ty9FMY2O7cdByvWDbMzfZGyPQbiFsvjD2cQE7zaQZY7UTcywDniuFdteAVnHppQ3lfxoG3JscrlalVfy1KHRdD8w0oNibDTAlVH8stv7C6dAqo2IO2-2D2BfXuWtibZwtr87ZRuM9mAf55TkHQP4kH2ecpiSClbGWQKC-2D2B8mCQxpm4GuXHGEw0UBPQZq59PtQMPvrYJR7NY6HWFKOca60Z9xJVu4ZQmfrA82VG7b3zS5RWW9oIayv0t-2D2FCubRYG0FmhTZcAxYX6wyess-2D2BkkkGaNkswUteocj7REZJMBqqJvrScjDvWwrgOWnaarlqaDMHSPkY-2D3D-5Fmui-5FalacBM6DOIHd9gUQl-2D2FZ6v5U7EzRJYR1N4AhD-2D2FDQEhBM-2D2F8AiJ0dHhekGcVuKqLt1OqiMl8Tp4xAm9CMy1-2D2BehWqfFiys3NOcBEHsLAwt6c2e-2D2BAl-2D2BN6xYNYp0-2D2F2MRP6a4w0vNOsjUbz2n-2D2BfNVRxKg8yxmuLTEOyvfgaiIGWkdmlshDz5-2D2FetbXHo3GSvF0h5-2D2FYawP4gjgOmTU2Cys5pfm0-2D2FXv1Ax0RQwivu3f9TifBVE6-2D2BDxxOWscriI-2D2BSCCEOJChpMl-2D2FogxqYXg7J5lUTeg-2D2FMJeJuOShiOV7EElit5LHWRUTwqZ10t1anAqjuqIsIb2gOjOuorZBAb-2D2FmV6xrJkiEKrJnOB7A0O6AiDHyRdWMlfpNDU-2D3D&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=eNuipZQSSZ-V2OUyrfaYLSftczBV2p4CfLkxUOKUdcA&amp;r=ab8A1wH-TNtjuDlOLqp5uOBik9rivJ17XJebqd6n3C4&amp;m=0zGfrbV3eBxvhBDQqb1dZvWGBX3OfmJYD4rT1lahLKg&amp;s=jLj3__ko8lHBee8SsE6O0GapNOmMznmPtD4qqDQ6Tac&amp;e=\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA.com<\/a>, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nashville, TN &#8211; This year, more than ever, families are likely eager to bring some holiday cheer to their lives. This could mean shopping (and doing so early) for a real Christmas tree. However, nothing will make you say \u201cbah humbug\u201d faster than losing the tree you just bought on the drive home and creating [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[1361,5613,12675,12712,12674,549,284,9272],"class_list":["post-17482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","tag-aaa","tag-christmas-tree","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-megan-cooper","tag-nashville","tag-nashville-tn","tag-the-auto-club-group"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17482"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17483,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17482\/revisions\/17483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}