How you travel to your next vacation destination is an increasingly important factor. Due to the new social distancing norm, traveling by flight, train, or bus might not seem like the safest option for your family.

 

Consider, instead, taking a road trip. A road trip is an enriching experience that will have you starting your vacation from the moment you leave the house, instead of only when you arrive.

 

Just be sure you use safety driving tips for road trip success. With that said, a long road trip can also be a concern for your family’s safety as road accidents are pretty common.

 

While you can consult Lamber Goodnow to find an expert personal injury lawyer to handle your case for you if you have been in an accident on a road trip, of course, avoiding an accident while enjoying your family road trip is the priority.

 

To help you out, we have listed some expert safe driving tips for road trips to ensure you and your family can enjoy your trip safely.

 

 

Driving Tips for Road Trips

1. Prepare Your Vehicle for the Journey

 

It is best to prepare your vehicle for the journey by taking it for maintenance service at least two weeks before leaving. This will ensure your brakes, tires, and all other essential functions are working as they should.

 

Even if your vehicle is not due for a service, you should take the extra measure to ensure a safe trip.

 

Vehicle malfunctions are one of many leading causes of road accidents, as brake failure can cause head-on collisions, run-off-the-road accidents, and even side-impact collisions.

 

In addition, you should also have your car checked at the local gas station the day you leave to ensure tire pressure, oil levels, and water is suitable. Ensuring your vehicle is in pristine condition before leaving for your road trip will ensure your family is at much less risk of being involved in an accident.

 

Sometimes, however, someone else can cause an accident regardless of how much time you spent preparing your vehicle. When this happens, you can contact a car accident attorney for help filing an insurance claim. 

 

Ensuring your vehicle is in pristine condition before leaving for your road trip will ensure your family is at much less risk of being involved in an accident.

 

 

2. Plan for Bad Weather

 

Lousy weather can be a massive concern for drivers. It can reduce your ability to be a vigilant driver, abolish your reaction time, and put you at risk of being in a collision.

 

Instead of assuming the weather will be suitable, you should check the weather predictions before leaving and continue to check forecasts every couple of hours during your stops so that you can avoid getting caught in a sudden storm.

 

Preparing for bad weather won’t just protect you from potential road accidents, as getting caught in a storm can also damage your vehicle. While your insurer will cover vehicle damages caused by hail storms, claiming is a time-consuming process.

 

And there’s no doubt that you want to enjoy a leisurely road trip and indulge in the enchanting scenery instead of traveling through harsh weather conditions that will put a damper on the experience of a road trip for you and your family.

 

 

3. Keep Emergency Kits in Your Car

 

Keeping emergency kits in your vehicle will ensure you are prepared for any emergencies that could arise along the way. You should have a travel-sized first-aid kit and all the necessary tools to fix your vehicle if you need to.

 

If you aren’t too sure which tools you need, you can easily find packing lists for car emergency kits. Alternatively, you can also purchase travel emergency kits that contain the essentials and add any medications and extras that you might need as a more straightforward solution.

 

 

4. Plan a Route That Allows Enough Stops

 

Planning your route will allow you to prepare for essential stops along the way. And avoid fatigued driving as a direct result.

 

Your road trip route should allow stops every two hours at least. And during your stops, you should freshen up, stretch your legs, eat, and drink to prepare for the next stretch.

 

Avoiding stops and putting yourself at risk of falling asleep at the wheel will put your whole family at risk of a collision that can be devastating. Fatigued driving is a leading cause of road accidents worldwide.

 

So even if you don’t feel the need for a break, you should time your stops and rather be as safe as possible to protect yourself, your family, and other road users.

 

 

5. Stock Your Car with Entertainment for the Kids

 

As mentioned above, distracted driving is a leading cause of road accidents. And trying to keep your kids entertained on the long journey can cause distracted driving.

 

So instead, it would be best if you packed in enough entertainment to keep your children entertained for the duration of your trip.

 

Entertainment can be books, tablets, and various other items. In addition to entertainment, you should also consider packing in snacks and comfort extras for your children.

 

The more comfortable they are during the trip, the less likely they will get fussy and start acting out, as many younger children do when traveling for long periods of time in a car.

 

Remember that taking a road trip can be one of the best vacations you take, especially as a family. Just make sure you use safety tips for road trip success.