1. Keep car maintained - Your oil levels, transmission fluids, brake pads, rotors, belts, brake fluid, and water. This not only helps to avoid a break down on a trip but also helps with longevity of your car. Simple maintenance now can save you time in travel and fuel cost.
2. Check your tires - You really want to keep a check on your tire pressure monthly, before a long trip and after. Tire pressure not only assists in keeping your family safe but also if kept at the proper pressure helps you save fuel. You should also rotate your tires about every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
3. Cell Phones - We try to teach our children how unsafe it is to talk/text and drive but do we follow? If you need to talk or answer have someone else to answer and pull to the RIGHT side median/shoulder. I specify right because in most states the left side of the road is used for Emergency vehicles. These are a wonderful thing to have in a full charge also if you happen to break down.
4. Leave home early - Most accidents are caused by drivers being in a hurry to be somewhere and had they just left their house a little earlier the wouldn't be so rushed. I always like to leave for vacation in the middle of the night because we beat alot of the traffic in the smaller towns and it is much more relaxing than trying to navigate with what seems like thousands of people on the road!
5. Tired, Sleepy - Don't drive if you are tired or sleepy. IF there is another driver in the car then rotate out some of the driving, or find a Hotel and get some sleep. There is NO trip worth losing yours or anyone Else's life because you were too tired to drive.
6. Seatbelts, Car seats - - Make sure you and everyone is properly fastened in their seat belt and for the little joys in our life make sure they are in a proper car seat. If you are not sure which car seat is right for your child you can contact your local Highway Patrol Station and they will help you decide the proper one for child and also now they will show you how to properly install the car seat into your vehicle. This is free to you and in the long run of safety is PRICELESS!
7. Rest Areas - If traveling with children of any age it is not a bad idea to stop at almost every rest area. When me and my Grandmother traveled to GA. we stopped at everyone we came to just to get out and stretch and move around a little.
8. Children - While keeping them in their car seat they are going to get tired and bored of just riding. Allow them to take something to do like crayons and coloring books, and I have found that the little TV's that strap to the back of the seat works really well too. Also you have to make sure that you have set rules that there are to be no fighting or throwing objects in the car. If they need to play allow them time to run at the rest areas when you stop to release some built up energy.
9. Don't Offend - Ok so by this I mean to avoid cutting off other drivers, tailgating, and making offensive gestures to other driver. Be cautious and courteous and use your turn signals when changing lanes. Check your mirrors and know what the other cars or where the other s cars are before making any moves. If it is raining, foggy, or the obvious at night be sure to use your headlights. In some states it is the law that if you need to use your windshield wiper then you need your headlights. If you are not sure run them the whole time and avoid the high beams if at all possible.
10. Kits - Whether I am on a trip or just going into town I like to carry my first aide kit and my roadside kit. Both kits have things that I may need in case of an accident or breakdown. I also keep extra blankets in the car for the winter months in the event we break down and the battery dies we can wrap up and keep warm. In the summer months water for Human consumption is kept in mass supply along with snacks like crackers or something that will not melt.
This is only 10 tips but there are so many more things that you can do to keep your family safe while traveling. In most cases it is just common sense but may be things we don't even think about. Before my family travels especially on a long trip we say a prayer for God to keep us and others on the road safe.
Here are some tips offered from Safelite Autoglass:
- Think you can ignore a chip in your windshield? Think again! The windshield provides up to 30% of your vehicles structural integrity, and a chip smaller than 6 inches (or the size of a dollar bill) can easily be repaired by filling it with a special resin.
- A chip could turn into a crack at any time, often when you are least expecting it. Windshield repair is often a safe and economical alternative to a full windshield replacement.
- Scheduling a windshield chip repair is easy! Companies like Safelite AutoGlass provide mobile service – wherever your car is – often within 24 hours of your initial call.
- Safelite AutoGlass brings you peace of mind by emailing you a Technician Profile before your appointment, showing you a photograph and credentials of the technician coming to your home or place of business.
- Forget do-it-yourself repair kits. The resin could easily shrink or yellow, lowering the quality of the repair. Safelite AutoGlass uses a patented repair process… A vacuum is created over the damaged area and the resin penetrates and fills the finest micro-cracks. The technician pulls off the vacuum changer and the UV light hardens the resin. Safelite’s resin is proven to be the strongest and longest lasting on the market.
- The repair often takes just 30 minutes, and the result is barely visible and the windshield is strong again.
- All Safelite repairs are backed by a national warranty and are guaranteed to pass lease turn-back and state vehicle inspections.
- Some unethical companies – windshield bullies -- take advantage of the fact that insurance companies cover the cost of the repair, so they’re using it as a way to file fraudulent charges to the insurance company when there isn’t really damage. These types of scammers are show up at car washes, gas stations and even go door-to-door and pressuring you to file unnecessary claims. If you suspect damage, go to a trusted vendor who will inspect the glass before performing work.
- With many insurance companies, there is no deductible for the repair.
- An added benefit is that by offering repairs as an alternative to replacement, Safelite AutoGlass saves approximately 35,000 tons of CO2 during windshield production each year, enough to fill the Empire State Building approximately 19 times. In addition, it saves the number of damaged windshields being sent to the landfill by approximately 12,500 tons annually.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Safelite blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here
