Three safety tips for your next road trip

Planning to take a road trip soon? There’s nothing quite like hitting the open road! If you’re driving to your destination, here are three great ways to make sure your trip goes safely and smoothly:

Visit the mechanic. Prior to your vacation, make sure your vehicle has a general look-over by an expert. It’s better to take care of any issues that your car is having before you hit the road. You don’t want to have maintenance issues that leave you on the side of the road or have worn brakes on a long road trip. Don’t forget to have your tires checked, too.

Prepare an emergency kit. Things can go wrong even with the best preparation. That’s why it’s always advisable to have an emergency kit in your car. Make sure the kit includes first aid supplies, gloves, flares, blankets (in case you are stranded at night), a car jack, jumper cables and plenty of bottled water. Including medications, such as pain relievers and antacids, snacks and extra toilet paper is also a good idea. Traveling with a baby? Make sure you have spare diapers and wipes.

Give someone your itinerary. This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many families fail to let someone else know what route they plan to take and where they are going. Before you head out on your vacation, make sure a relative, neighbor or good friend knows your trip itinerary. This way someone has access to your travel plans at all times. If an emergency happens while you’re on the road, you’ll have someone to call who knows exactly where you are or at least where you are planning to be.

While you’re on the road, make sure you’re making time for rest stops. Get plenty of sleep before your trip, if possible, and make sure you’re allowing enough time to get a good night’s sleep while you’re on the road. Think twice about driving all night to get to your destination. Some of the most dangerous times of the day to drive are the early morning hours, when you’re tired and so are the other drivers are the road.