One of the best things about summer is the long, lazy road trips that so many of us – as many as 60 percent of Americans take a road trip each summer – will take. And this includes taking a road trip via a car or road tripping with a RV.
Summer presents us with a chance to kick back, relax, and if you want to ensure that your summer road trip IS as relaxing as possible, you’re going to want to check out these summer road trip safety tips right now…
Take the car for a tune-up
Before you go on a road trip, it makes sense to book your car in for a tune-up. After all, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in there, so you want to make sure that the tires, engine, fluid, and belts are all in good working order, not to mention the air conditioning – driving through Alabama and beyond in the summer without air conditioning? No way!
Ensure your tires are properly inflated
Tires that are over or underinflated are one of the biggest causes of blowouts on the road. If you want to avoid being in an accident – but if you are, be sure to file immediately after the accident if you want to be successful – make sure that your tires are inflated to the optimum PSI as set out in your vehicle’s manual. Doing this will also help you to get a better fuel economy, which could cut the cost of your road trip significantly.
Pack plenty of fluids
If you’re heading out on a summer road trip, you need to make sure that you pack lots of fluids because it can get pretty hot out on the road, even if you do have the air-con blasting out cool air, and should you get dehydrated, your ability to drive could be severely impaired. Packing lots of healthy snacks to avoid your blood sugar getting too low and making you drowsy is also a really good idea.
Pack a map
It’s so tempting to rely on your GPS system when you’re heading off on a summer adventure, and of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using your GPS, but you should probably still pack a map too. You see GPS systems might be hi-tech, but they aren’t infallible, and should yours fail, you’ll be glad to have a piece of paper pointing you in the right direction.
Pack for emergencies
You should never embark on a road trip without packing an emergency kit filled with first aid supplies, sunscreen, blankets, flashlights, flares, car repair tools, and…well you get the idea.
Stop regularly
When it’s hot and sunny, chances are you need to take more rest stops so that your eyes can recover and you can overcome the drowsy effect of the wheat. If you aren’t stopping at least every couple of hours, your driving could suffer as a result, and disaster may strike.
Eyes on the Road
You can tune your vehicle and pack the best emergency kit, but the most important safety feature on your car is YOU. Get a good night’s sleep before you start your trip, and consider dividing the driving hours with your adult passengers. Stay alert, stay hydrated, and make frequent stops to stretch your legs.
Pack Safely
When it comes to packing, the safest way to secure everything is to pack the heaviest items close to the floor and as far forward as possible. That way your vehicle will not become top-heavy.
Have fun!
