The summer season is a great time to hit the road in your car and travel to a new destination. However, the roads can pose hazards for even the safest of drivers. Before you put the pedal to the medal and hit the road, take a moment to brush up on a few life-saving safety tips.
How to stay safe on your journey
Road trips have a variety of concerns that every driving does not. In a road trip, you might be traveling long-distance for extended periods on the freeway. With this in mind, take some of these summer travel safety considerations into account:
- Put down that navigation device: Checking Google Maps, Apple Mapz, Waze and other navigation apps poses the same risk of distraction as texting while driving. Even if you have a mounting device for your phone, keep your eyes on the road.
- Check your tire pressure: Overinflated tires can wear down unnecessarily quickly. Underinflated tires run the risk of blowing out. Find an air station and check your tires’ pressure, then adjust it as needed.
- Bring a safety kit: You can prepare for emergency situations in advance. Pack a kit with first aid accessories, nonperishable food items, bottled water and other items that you might need in an accident or a natural disaster.
- Take rest breaks: It can feel tempting to push through several hours of driving at a time to get to your destination sooner. Don’t push yourself too hard, though, or you risk drowsy driving. Take the time to pull over at a rest stop and refresh.
- Remember to hydrate: With summers hotter than ever, do not underestimate the importance of drinking water. Soda, coffee, energy drinks and other caffeinated drinks can give you quick bursts of energy, but they do not sustain and hydrate you like water does.
Even if you take every precaution you can, other drivers’ reckless actions could still cause an injury. By controlling the elements that you can, you can go a long way toward preventing a catastrophe that could derail your road trip and put you in the hospital. As you implement the aforementioned safety tips, remember to have a safe and fun time on the road this summer.