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Road Trips: How to remain safe

Are you getting ready for a road trip? Ensure that you stay safe and you have fun while at it. Adhere to following road trip tips to arrive safely.

Buckle up

This is one of the most ignored road safety measures and termed as simple, but it can save you in case of an accident. Car accidents top the list of the highest number of deaths of ages 1 to 55-year-olds. By buckling up, you reduce the risk of been injured or killed by more than 50%. This is the first road trip tip to keep everyone safe at the road. Do not engage the gear before ensuring everyone has buckled up.

Give your car a once-over.

Is your vehicle roadworthy? Get this ascertained by visiting your local garage for quick maintenance. Check your oil levels, tire pressure, wiper blades, fluid levels, and tread levels. If your car is due for an oil change, then change it immediately. If topping up fluids is needed, have it done. If you need to replace the wheels or patch any of them then ensure its done before the road trip day.

Get some Rest

Driving when you’re exhausted can be very dangerous. Annually drowsy drivers have caused a large number of fatal accidents on our roads. This is caused by the dropping of your eyes when drowsy and hence lowering your ability to make the right decisions, react fast and maintain your car in the right lane.

You might think that you are not too tired to be a responsible driver, but recent studies state that any driver driving after been awake over eighteen hours is equivalent to a driver under the influence of alcohol.

Lack of sleep isn’t the only cause of drowsiness; medication can cause and boredom as well. If you feel tired as you drive, its best that you hand over to another refreshed person, keep windows down, stop over to stretch your body and legs, or engage your passengers in a heated discussion to stay alert.

Have your GPS and bring back-up directions

Knowing where you’re heading to is quite important for any traveler. If you happen to get lost on your way, you can get stuck in an unsafe environment. Mapping the course of your travel beforehand, and carrying your GPS will enable you to remain on track the entire journey.

Another witty plan is to screenshot or prints out your direction, in case your phone battery dies or loses signal. This way it is hard for you to forget directions of your destination at any crucial exit, turn, or merge.

Stock up on supplies

Ensure that you do not run out of essential needs like gas on your trip. Keep everyone fueled up the whole journey by having a good stock on provisions such as food and drinks. Mix salt, junk, sweet and healthy foods to maintain a balanced diet.

Ensure you have a full can of gas in your boot. You never know you can run out of it in the middle of nowhere. Your stock will come in handy.