Should You Put Holiday Decorations On Your Car's Grille?

Many people get into a festive mood around the holidays and like to communicate this to other drivers by decorating their cars' grilles in a variety of ways, similar to how some truckers tie stuffed animals to their trucks. What is important when deciding whether to put holiday decorations on your car's grille comes down to a few basic issues, primarily the proper operation of your vehicle with its decorations attached, as well as the safety of other motorists and pedestrians while you are driving your decorated vehicle on streets and highways. 

If your vehicle was produced within the past five to ten years, it is likely to be equipped with several Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), which use cameras and sensors built into your vehicle to control technologies like emergency automatic braking, blind spot warning, road departure mitigation, traffic sign recognition, and others. If your holiday decorations block these cameras, your automatic parking and lane departure systems may not work. 

Sensors that control systems like adaptive cruise control and supervised self-driving can be hiding behind bumpers and other parts of your car's body, totally invisible — until you block them and these systems stop functioning. Be sure that you are not obscuring any of these sensors or cameras and that all of your ADAS features work as they are supposed to. Also check that any decorations on your grille do not restrict the flow of air through your radiator. Keep in mind what the purpose of a car's grille is — you don't want to interfere with its functionality.

Let's address the issue of making sure that pedestrians and the other motorists you share the road with remain safe while your decorated vehicle makes its way down the road. One important strategy is to make sure that all holiday decorations are securely tied down to the vehicle and do not move around at any speed you plan to drive. This will protect other road users and should also protect your car's paint from getting scratched from the decorations moving around. 

Adding lights to the holiday decorations on your grille is something you should probably stay away from. In nearly all states, these lights are illegal, particularly if they flash, blink, or are red or blue in color (the color of police and fire department emergency lights). Driving with such lights on could be problematic, but is likely to be permissible if you are parked. Check your local jurisdiction's regulations on this, as all states have their own statutes and the laws can vary from place to place. 

The best, most hassle-free items to decorate your car with for the holidays include decals for your windows, magnetic signs, vehicle wraps, a topper for your antenna, and holiday hood ornaments. Avoid paint-damaging bulky items and adhesives not intended for vehicle use. If you need some additional ideas on how to spread holiday cheer with Christmas car decorations this year, check out our buyers guide.