Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
You do remember family road trips, don’t you? Before COVID-19, many of us had plans to take more driving vacations with the people in our lives. Sadly, the last few months have laid waste to some of our best-laid plans, but as lockdown restrictions start to ease, there might soon be the possibility for more road trips with our loved ones. Hoorah!
Of course, safety needs to be a priority on a family road trip, which will, of course, be nothing new to you. This year, however, there are added precautions to take because of COVID, so there is more to consider than normal. Let’s consider the implications of this and other aspects of road trip safety.
#1: Schedule a tune-up for your car
We say car, but you should also consider the same if you’re taking a motorhome onto the roads this year. The safer our vehicles are the better, as we will then protect ourselves and other road users when we’re out and about on our road trip adventures. If you’re not mechanically minded yourself, take your vehicle to the local garage for a tune-up. A good car mechanic will inspect everything, from your tyres to your fluid levels, to make sure everything is as it should be. If you do decide to maintain your vehicle yourself before the trip, here are the checks you need to make.
#2: Make sure your children are safely buckled up
If your children need safety seats, make sure they are securely installed before starting your journey. Remind them of the importance of seatbelts too and pull your car over if you notice they have unattached them. If your children complain they are too tight, loosen them a little, but not so loose that your children are no longer safely secure in their seats.
#3: Avoid road rage
According to Sky News, one in five road users have been threatened with physical violence on Britain’s roads, which is quite a frightening statistic really. Sadly, there are many instances where things have escalated, leading to car crashes and fatalities, which is why there has been a rise in people needing to use professional wrongful death lawyers. The prospect is unthinkable for any parent, so curb your own road rage and steer clear of other angry drivers. Pull over if you find yourself heating up or if you need to distance yourself from an angry road user, and call the police using a hands-free device if you need any assistance.
#4: Be COVID-safe
As we suggested, this is something that has to be thrown into the mix for road trips this year (and perhaps next year too). Pack plenty of sanitisers and disinfectant wipes and make sure your family use them if they touch any surfaces on your stopovers. Make sure they sanitise such things as door handles and bathroom taps before touching them too and remind everybody to socially distance themselves from others when in any public space. Of course, if you or any of your family start to show COVID symptoms before the road trip, stay at home. It’s better to be safe than sorry after all, as you don’t want to cause harm to other road trippers.
So, whether you take a road trip this year (if you’re legally allowed to do so), or next year, remember these safety tips. You will have a better time away if you do as a safe trip equates to a happier time for everybody.
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
