Taking long drives with your family can be a fun experience for everyone, especially if you’re headed somewhere nice. But that said, it’s important to take a step back and think about how best you can stay safe while on the roads. Conditions may be a little risky, or other more careless drivers might put you at risk inadvertently. 

From checking your vehicle over before a drive, to making sure you’ve got emergency supplies with you, below, we offer you some advice on family safety while on the roads.

Make sure everything’s in order

Some simple pre-journey checks could help ensure that every journey you take with your family is a safe one. For example:

• How long ago was the last time you took your car in for a check up? 

• When did you last change your oil? 

• How’s the grip on your tyres? 

• Do all your car’s light fixtures work correctly?

While you might not exactly need to do these checks before every single journey, it could certainly help for longer drives. You might also consider reminding yourself of the expiration date on your licence, as driving without a licence after not realising yours has expired could prove to be a costly mistake, that may even lead to jail time.

Consider putting a reminder into your calendar every 3-6 months, to go through these checks yourself and have an auto repair shop give your vehicle a once-over. Even if you don’t think you need it, you or a mechanic might spot something dangerous that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Think about your route

What major events are going on in your area right now? Are there any road repairs currently in progress? Has the local news reported on any major accidents today?

These are some of the questions you might want to think about before starting a long journey. major events like these might just mean you’re driving a little longer than you originally expected.

However, other, less-patient drivers might be less considerate. During a long traffic jam, for example, some drivers could try to take unsafe turns, or speed up in an attempt to get out of the jam.

In situations like this, you might be the victim of a traffic accident through no fault of your own.

Situations like this are why it’s important to think about your route before setting off. One helpful way to plan ahead a little more effectively could be to invest in a GPS for your vehicle.. This way, you’ll be able to find alternate, safer routes much quicker.

Safety seats

If you have young children, it’s vital that your vehicle has child safety seats in place. In the unfortunate event that you do get into an accident, these will greatly increase the chances of your child remaining uninjured.

In fact, the American Auto Industry say that car seats or special child restraints can reduce the risk of injury by 71-82%, and the risk of child death by 28%.

Emergency preparation

In some situations, you might find yourself stranded for several hours. For example, if  you break down on the freeway, and you have to wait a while before help arrives.

This could be made worse if the weather is particularly bad, or it’s very dark outside and visibility is low, such as in the dead of winter.

To stay safe in times like this, consider making sure there’s an emergency kit in the trunk of your car. Some of the basics to include in this kit would be. bottled water & long-lasting food, warm blankets, and a torch. If it takes a little longer than expected or help to arrive, having this kit ready will help keep everyone warm, fed and hydrated while you wait.

It can be difficult to predict everything that could happen while you’re out on the road, but keeping this advice in mind will help you and your family stay safe during your journeys.