Wednesday, June 1, 2011

10 Tips For Keeping Your Family Safe on the Road

Yep, you know it. That time of the week again where I get an opportunity to team up with Social Moms on a writing post. This is also sponsored by Safelite Autoglass and I will be giving some of their tips at the bottom of the post after mine. I am going to give just some practical tip that may have to do with the car or just your family safety while you are traveling.

1.Safety Belts.
This is something you would think most families would already have down but you would be surprised how many people I see who do not do this. Make sure your children are buckled in properly and that they are in the right seats. Often children are not in the correct car seats and this can be very fatal while traveling.

2.Check Vehicle for Problems.
Before you hit the road, it is always best to check out the tires and make sure they have the proper air. Also check your windshield, brakes and lights. Not a good thing to have these go out while you are on the road. Whenever we take a big trip we have a day to check the vehicle, take it in to the shop if need be, and make sure it is in working order. Anything can happen on the road but it is a lot better to make sure beforehand that it is ready to go.

3.Have Medicines Handy.
While traveling it is easy to get into areas with allergies, bee stings, ticks, etc. Make sure to have your medications on you for those times when you need them.

4.Make Sure to Bring Foods.
Sometimes you can have a break down and it is always best to have food handy. Whether it is a cooler with drinks and snacks or even bringing a meal or two that can be easily made in the vehicle.

5.Obey Rules and Regulations.
I often see people speeding down the road and I wonder if they care about other people. This is one of the big rules for safety and yet many people do not obey it. Follow the speed limits and the rules that are set down for road safety and it will help keep your family safe. Those rules are there to help keep your family safe:)

6.Always go Somewhere Together.
A number one rule is never send your child somewhere alone. Even on the road it is easy to send them to the rest area by themselves and it can lead to danger. Keep your children safe and don't let them out of your sight unless another adult or older teenager is with them.

7.Have Cell Phone Handy.
This kind of goes with #4 above but I don't know how many times we have been stranded on the side of the road and a cell phone is our way out. Have it charged and ready in case you need it.

8.Have AAA or Emergency Help.
Make sure to have AAA before hand or another such type of company. They come in handy very easily in case of a break-down. This is especially helpful when you break down in the city. Have someone come out to check on it and have the children stand away from the vehicle. It is much better though to have this before you travel than to get stuck on the road and have nowhere to go and no one to call. We have used this many times!

9.Keep it Happy in the Vehicle.
This is something that may not help your children but it will definitely help your husband:) And it keeps the occupants of the vehicle safe! Make sure there are no toys thrown, noise is kept minimal and lights are off when they need to be. I don't know about your family, but driving through the cities is a hectic time and the guys need their eyes on the road. Not helpful to have children screaming in the background:)

10. Know Where you are Going.
Stupid I know. But we have often gotten lost because we are not exactly sure where we are going. This can easily become dangerous as we have traveled in areas that were not the greatest. Have your maps out and travel plans scheduled ahead of time. Even print them out if need be. Always know where you are supposed to be:)

Now, those are my tips, but the ones below are from Safelite. They are very helpful and I have put them to my list of things to check before we go traveling on our next trip.

  • Think you can ignore a chip in your windshield? Think again! The windshield provides up to 30% of your vehicles structural integrity, and a chip smaller than 6 inches (or the size of a dollar bill) can easily be repaired by filling it with a special resin.
Some unethical companies – windshield bullies -- take advantage of the fact that insurance companies cover the cost of the repair, so they’re using it as a way to file fraudulent charges to the insurance company when there isn’t really damage. These types of scammers are show up at car washes, gas stations and even go door-to-door and pressuring you to file unnecessary claims. If you suspect damage, go to a trusted vendor who will inspect the glass before performing work.

Now, let me know in a comment below your tips for keeping your family safe while you are traveling. I like to hear about them:)

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Safelite blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

These are great tips!!! I also like to pack my babies clothes (outfits) in ziploc bags. That way I have a bag for dirty clothes and keep outfits together.

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