During the holidays, people tend to spend lots of time with their families. This often means that people end up traveling long distances to be with their loved ones. Some people may fly, while others may end up taking road trips across long distances. While family road trips can be fun and bonding experiences, it is important that you make sure you are prepared and safe during these trips, in order to avoid unexpected emergencies, injuries, etc.
Here are a few tips you can keep in mind to make your next family road trip safer.
1) Make sure your home is secured.
Many break-ins occur when people are out of town for extended periods of time and their homes are left unsecured. If you’re planning a long trip, first of all, don’t talk about it on public social media pages or anywhere else that could let strangers know you’ll be gone. Second, make sure you have a good security system installed in your home. You can add a monitoring service to your home security package for peace of mind while you are away.
2) Make sure people know where you are.
If you’re going to be traveling long distances, it is always good to let someone know where you will be and when you should arrive at your destination. That way, if an emergency occurs, there will be people who know where to find you.
3) Get your car checked.
There is nothing worse than heading out on a road trip only to find yourself stranded on the side of the road halfway to your destination. While some car issues cannot be avoided (such as getting a flat because you drove over a nail), many can be prevented with regular maintenance. If you’re about to head out on a long trip, have a trustworthy mechanic check your car. They can top your fluid levels, check your brakes and tires, and make sure your vehicle is ready to take on the upcoming trip. Yes, car maintenance can be a hassle, but a little hassle before your trip is better than a big hassle during your trip.
4) Be ready to drive in winter conditions.
If you live in a warmer area and are headed to a colder area, you need to make sure you are ready to deal with driving in winter conditions. Make sure you have the proper tires and make sure you know how to handle difficult winter driving conditions. For example, do you know what to do if your car starts to slide across an icy patch of road?
5) If you’re driving, make sure you’re rested.
When most people think about dangerous driving, they picture a drunk driver. What most people don’t realize is that driving while drowsy can be just as dangerous. Being tired can slow down your cognitive functions significantly, causing you to have dangerously delayed reactions. This can cause you to end up in a car crash, even if you’re normally a good driver. If you’re doing the driving, make sure you take breaks to rest when you feel tired. If you have two adults in the car, you can take turns driving.
These are just a few tips to make your next holiday road trip a bit safer. If you keep these tips in mind, you should be well on your way to a safe (and hopefully enjoyable) holiday road trip with your loved ones.
