Road Trip Safety: Five Things You Can Do To Stay Safe On The Road

You and your friends have been planning your upcoming trip for weeks, if not months. You can’t wait to travel across the state, or even across the country, and you feel ready to see the sights and explore what Mother Nature has to offer. But you and your friends will also spend a lot of time in the car, and if you’re not careful, you may find yourself stranded on a little-traveled road. So what can you do to ensure your next trip goes as smoothly and safely as possible?

1. Go for a Tune-up

Even if your car seems in great shape now, little problems may quickly escalate into much larger issues during your extended journey. Take your car to a professional mechanic and have him or her inspect it from the top of its antenna down to the tread of its tires. Don’t forget to check the fluid levels, battery charge, and air filter as well.

Hold onto your records of all your repairs. If something does go wrong on the road, you can bring up the issue with your mechanic later.

2. Pack an Emergency Kit

Despite a thorough tune-up, you should always prepare for the worst. If you ever become involved in an accident or if poor road conditions force you off the road, make sure you have the following on hand:

• Water
• Snacks
• Blankets
• Flashlight
• Jumper cables
• Flares
• Phone charger
• First Aid kit

Feel free to expand your emergency kit to include personal items such as insulin and other medication.

3. Plan for Breaks

Although you and your friends want to arrive at your destination as quickly as possible, remember to include frequent rest stops, breaks, and naps in your itinerary. According to the AAA Foundation, those who sleep six to seven hours a night are twice as likely to crash as those who sleep eight hours or more.

As a general rule, pull over and stretch your legs every few hours, even if you don’t feel tired or sleepy. Use the opportunity to snack, enjoy some fresh air, or take a quick nap.

If you have a strict schedule to keep, use your rest stop as a chance to switch drivers, so your driver always feels fresh and alert.

4. Familiarize Yourself with Local Weather and Roads

While your car’s GPS or your phone’s navigation app come in handy, you might not have the best signals out in the wild. As an extra precaution, bring along a physical map and carefully study any confusing roads or turns. Understand the local speed limits as well as any laws that may prohibit you from talking or texting on your phone while driving.

Furthermore, keep an eye on the skies. Just because weather looks nice when you started your trip doesn’t mean it will stay that way as you progress. If possible, search the web for traffic alerts or tune your radio to local weather stations.

4. Keep Insurance/Registration and Emergency Contact Information In Glove Box

The above tips will help you stay safe, no matter where you choose to travel. However, while you may do everything right to avoid collisions, you can’t always predict what other drivers will do. If you get in a collision, it’s important to have all updated paperwork for the other driver or police officer. If you get injured due to someone else’s neglect, be sure to talk to a personal injury attorney like Marc Johnston.

Road trips can be an exciting time when planned and prepared for. Taking extras steps can help you stay safe on the road and avoid collisions.