Road trips are fun for the whole family, but they can be a big headache to plan and execute. As summer is finally here, many people are getting ready for their yearly road trips to the beach and such. When everything goes smoothly, road trips are great but when they go poorly they can be really bad.

In the interest of safety, we put together this quick list of road trip safety tips. These tips can help you prevent any accidents or problems of your trip.

Give Your Car an Inspection

First things first, before going anywhere give your car a once over and make sure everything is ok. This includes things like tire pressure, tread levels, windshield wiper fluid levels, coolant levels, and the quality of your wiper blades. Even a small problem can balloon into something major over the course of a long road trip. It is very important to get any small issues fixed before you go anywhere.

Carry a Spare Tire

Flat tires occur in mass every day in the US. The last thing you want is to get a flat tire while in route to your destination and have the emergency cut into your vacation time while you wait for roadside assistance.

It’s not enough to just carry one; you also need to have the right tools and know-how to actually change it. Fortunately, most cars nowadays come with a spare and some tools for fixing a punctured tire, such as a jack and a tire iron.

GPS Is Your Friend

Back in the old days, you would have to get a big physical map and use that to figure out where to go or print out directions from Mapquest. Nowadays, you can just use GPS on your smartphone. GPS direction services are very useful because they can update you about current road conditions such as inclement weather and accidents.

However, even if you have GPS, you should still probably keep some physical direction. GPS location won’t work everywhere, so if you are driving in the middle of nowhere with no service, you will still have a way to check your bearings.

Pack an Emergency Kit

First aid is always important, no matter where you are. While ideally, you will never have to use it, you should always keep a stocked first aid kit in your car for road trips. Important supplies to stock up on include band-aids, alcohol swabs, antiseptic gel, bandages, aspirin/Tylenol, and adhesive tape. It might not seem necessary at the time, but you will really wish you had one if you get caught without.

Road trips are fun but don’t be caught unprepared. These safety tips can give you peace of mind on your long trips.

If you need to speak with an Indianapolis personal injury attorney about a car accident, call us anytime, the consultation will be free. At Hurst Limontes LLC, we always offer free consultation on your personal injury case.