Planning an epic spring break or summer road trip? California’s year-round great weather makes in-state trips popular, but you might also venture further. If you can take proactive steps to prepare for a road trip, there’s a reduced chance you’ll wind up on the side of the road following an accident. These road trip safety tips can help you plan for a fun and accident-free time.
Plan Your Travel Route
Before starting your epic road trip, make sure you have your travel route planned out. You may even need to adjust this route or come up with some backups in advance if there are problems. Having multiple routes prepared and backups in case you lose cell phone reception, such as a GPS or paper maps, will help you navigate the road more easily.
Get Your Vehicle Looked At Pre-Trip
One of the best road trip safety tips is to feel confident in the vehicle you’re taking. If you haven’t seen the mechanic in awhile or have put off some critical repairs, now is the time for a tune-up. You’ll also want to check for any recalls on your vehicle and do an overall look at your batteries, lights, and wiper blade life.
Good vehicle maintenance can alert you to critical issues early. Look for recalls, check your tires, get an oil change, and make note of any other issues flagged by a mechanic. You can help prevent breakdowns by being mindful about the overall maintenance of your vehicle before you leave.
In addition to getting your car tuned up for the trip, make sure you have an emergency preparedness kit packed inside. This can include a flashlight, blankets, flares, or other lights to notify people if you’re on the side of the road at night, and more. Stocking your vehicle with work gloves, a change of clothes, jumper cables, a first aid kit, water and paper towels for cleaning up, and emergency windshield washer fluid can also help you.
Review Car Seat Safety
Everyone inside the vehicle needs to be safely buckled up. This is one of the easiest and also most important road trip safety tips. It can also be easily overlooked as children grow.
If it’s been a while since you have properly sized your children for car seats, make sure that anyone under age 13 is always riding correctly buckled in the back seat of the car. Booster seats and car seats should be properly and safely installed and in line with the child’s weight at the time of the trip. You can use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Child Car Seat Inspection Station Locator if you’d like outside assistance in installing or updating a car seat.
Be Mindful of Backing In/Out
On your road trip, take extra care when backing out of parking spots or driveways. This can prevent backovers. Objects, kids, and pets may be out of view but still in the path of your vehicle. Take extra care and don’t rush on your trip, either. Feeling tired or hurried will only increase your chances of an avoidable vehicle accident.
Keep Someone Informed of Your Progress
Another road trip safety tip is to notify someone of the route you intend to take and an overview of where you intend to stop. When someone hasn’t heard from you in a while or gets concerned, they will know to reach out rather than leaving you stranded. By following these road safety tips, you may be able to reduce your chances of a breakdown or an accident.
What to Do If You’re Hurt in a Road Trip Car Accident
Even the most carefully prepared drivers may still face risks of being hurt in a vehicle accident around Los Angeles, in California, or beyond.
Keeping everyone calm in the aftermath of an accident can be challenging, especially if you traveled a route you weren’t familiar with on your journey. However, knowing what to do post-accident will help everyone get the care they need and prevent further injuries. If you get into an accident while on your road trip, get the vehicle out of the way of oncoming traffic as quickly as possible. Contact the police and get copies of the police report before heading home, too.
If you suffer injuries in an accident on your road trip, you may need the support of an experienced California accident attorney to help you file a lawsuit for compensation.
