To avoid having to carry your luggage in the car when travelling, a roof box can be very practical. However, you should always bear in mind that the behaviour of your vehicle will change.
How does the roof box affect the handling of a car?
The roof box on the car changes the physical centre of gravity of the vehicle. The aerodynamics are also different than without the additional load space. This changes the complete driving style, as you as the driver have to get used to the desired change first. The legislator does not limit the speed when transporting a roof box.
However, there are some other requirements that you should definitely meet. The various manufacturers provide you with certain guide values for the individual products, which can be found in the operating instructions. Safety should always come first in road traffic.
Each roof box can only be loaded to a certain extent. You can quickly exceed this if you drive too fast. Therefore you should better follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
How fast can I drive with my roof box?
Since there are no legally binding specifications regarding the maximum speed when driving with a roof box, you can theoretically drive as fast as you want. However, you should always follow the manufacturer’s specifications and recommendations. In general, it is said that you should not drive faster than 130 km/h with a roof box on your vehicle. By the way, this speed applies to both the loaded and the empty state. Because if you drive faster, you may experience loud and very unpleasant wind noises while driving. This applies to almost all roof boxes and should therefore ideally be avoided.
Because if you are distracted by the strong noise, you may not hear other important sounds, such as an ambulance or even just a horn. Also note that more weight also changes the braking distance.
How to drive safely with a roof box
The above mentioned top speed of 130 khm/h is not a free choice, but has been calculated by engineers and other experts and confirmed in reviews. A roof box generally lowers safety and at the same time increases the risk. Although many of these products are very aerodynamic and are ideally mounted on the roof, there are some risks if you drive much too fast. To be on the safe side, you should therefore always follow the manufacturer’s specifications and recommendations.
This reduces the risk of an accident and you always arrive safely at your destination. Drive at a maximum of 130 km/h with a roof box and make sure that you always hear all the important noises in traffic. It also makes sense to reduce the speed on uneven surfaces. Especially if you transport some fragile objects in the roof box. You should fasten them with straps as much as possible before the journey so that they are not accidentally damaged.