With summer approaching, many families and friends may be planning a road trip. There’s nothing more exciting than loading up your car, van, or RV for a cross-country trip that you’ve never made before. You’ll have the opportunity to go through several states, landmarks, and geographical changes. However, you must take certain precautions to ensure that you and your passengers travel safely
Have an Accommodation Budget
American drivers get into approximately 6.75 million accidents annually. Some of those accidents occur because someone was driving while sleepy. Your road trip can take several days to accomplish. Don’t rush it or decrease your travel safety by trying to drive while exhausted. If you’re traveling alone, pull over and sleep at a motel or hotel for the night. Sleeping in your car is never a good idea in terms of safety. Take extra precautions and plan so you have an idea of where you’ll stop each night. Use sites like Booking.com to pre-book a room ahead of time.
Get Traffic Alerts
While traffic can be bad anywhere, some places are worse than others. In 2019, there were over 24,000 traffic crashes in Jackson County, Missouri. As you plot your trip across the country, research how traffic may change as you go through different areas. You can get traffic alerts on your mobile device. Traffic alerts are useful to let you know about roadblocks ahead, accidents, or other issues that may cause a detour or backup.
Have a Paper Map
Sure, everyone has a smart device these days. However, sometimes mobile devices die at the worst time, get lost, stolen, or broken. In case you have issues with your mobile device or your car’s GPS, play it safe by having a paper map on hand. A paper map may be old-fashioned for some, but it’s a useful aid that’s always available, whether or not you have access to a mobile service.
Use More Than One Driver
Household customers make up as much as 75% of the auto repair industry customers. So if your household has more than one experienced driver, one person doesn’t have to carry the whole load over a cross-country trip. If you have a teenage child with a license, let them get some good practice once you get out of traffic during your trip.
Service Your Car
Going cross country can put a lot of miles on your car. Unless you plan on staying on the highway the whole time, you’ll likely encounter different types of terrain as you hit different locations in the United States. Remember, the United States is a country with different regions, climates, and geographical features. A driver may easily go from paved city roads to cornfields to desert areas to the mountains if you wish. To ensure your car can handle the mileage and different climates, go to an auto mechanic to check your brakes, tires, fuel, ignition, etc. While breakdowns can happen anytime, it’s best to avoid that from happening while you’re in the middle of a state you’re unfamiliar with.
Pack Some Snacks
One of the benefits of traveling in the United States is it’s never hard to find a place that sells food. However, when you’re on the road and want to stay on schedule, you may not always want to pull over. Plus, if you have certain dietary restrictions, you may not feel like getting the fast food that’s often available at these roadside stops. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep a cooler with drinks and pack healthy snacks like energy bars, Mahogany Smoked Meats beef jerky, and fruit to keep you going.
Being able to travel across the country is an amazing experience every American should have. Avoid getting so caught up in your trip that you forget to plan well. Travel safely and have fun experiencing the country.