Road Trip Safety

Planning a road trip seems like an easy task. First, you pack clothes for a day or two, then you get in the car, and go. It seems very easy but really it’s not. There are other factors in planning a road trip, and road trip safety is key. Safety is a very important thing to think about before going on your trip.

Your safety starts with your vehicle. Your vehicle must be in good condition mechanically to function properly and keep you safe. A good way to make sure your vehicle is working properly is to take the vehicle into your local dealership or mechanic shop for a check-up and if needed a tune-up. Make sure they inspect a component that usually gets overlooked but is important is your windshield wipers. You want to make sure the rubber is still flexible and not cracking. You can put some water on your windshield and turn the wipers on. If you see streaking they need to be replaced.

You also want to make sure your vehicle’s tires are in good condition. You want to start by checking the tread level. A good tire must have at least 4/32 of an inch of tread in order to function properly. Tire pressure is another important thing to check when checking your tires. You want to make sure your vehicle’s tire pressure is at the psi recommended by the manufacturer. You can verify the psi recommended by the manufacturer by looking at the driver’s door sill by the door latch.

Distractions are a hazard so you must avoid them at all costs. If you are traveling with children, make sure they are buckled and have some entertainment. Another big distractor is exhaustion. You want to get a good night's sleep before leaving on your trip. While driving you want to sit up straight because people tend to get sleepy when they slouch over. Plan to stop and take breaks every 2 hours to stretch and take your mind off driving.