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Watching a Kayak Get Airborne...on the Highway
Who among us has not seen the car cruising down the highway with a mattress, canoe or rocking chair tied to the roof? Robert Sinclair Jr., manager of media relations for AAA New York, knows those items can look funny, in a Beverly Hillbillies–esque way, but he also knows how dangerous they can be. When most people tie large objects to the roof, Sinclair says, they make the mistake of securing them to the roof rack but not to the car itself (by taking the ropes or straps through the car interior). Once you get up to 40 mph, a mattress (or any large object, like a kayak or surfboard) will create aerodynamic drag. Best-case scenario: It wreaks havoc with your fuel economy. Worst-case scenario: That improperly loaded object becomes a flying object. If you're transporting a kayak and aren't using a dedicated device (such as the Yakima HullRaiser Kayak Carrier, $129), use a ratchet tie-down strap, available at home centers.
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