6 Safety Tips for Traveling by Car with Your Family

Whenever there are vacations or free time, it is ideal to relax from work. What a better way to take advantage of this time by taking a family trip? Whether you have the fortune to enjoy several days off or if you can only get away for a weekend, you must consider the following safety tips to travel with your family without risking any mishap.

1. Make a complete check of your car

Traveling on the road means that you must be able to rely on the proper functioning of your car for hundreds of kilometers. For this, your vehicle must meet certain basic criteria:

• The first step is to make sure your tires are in good condition and also the spare tire. Make sure your headlights and indicator lights work properly.
• If you have some experience, you can check the levels of antifreeze and oil for yourself. If not, you can take it to a mechanic to take care of it. Also, if your battery is already near the end of its useful life, it is best to replace it.
• Finally, it is recommended that a certified mechanic check the condition of the brakes. During your visit to the gas station, be sure to fill the tank and ask to inflate your tires to the pressure that the manufacturer recommends for road trips.

2. Make sure your caries well equipped

Your car must have, at least, pass-through cables, a spare tire, a jack, a cross wrench and reflecting triangles. Usually, all cars have this kit in the trunk, under the tapestry. On trips that are too long, it may be a good idea to include smoke indicators or flares. Although they are not very usual, they have proven very effective in attracting the attention of emergency services in case of accidents or breakdowns.

If you plan to make a trip that includes going through mountainous areas or difficult terrain, or if you just like to be prepared for everything, you can also equip your vehicle with a small emergency kit, best car GPS tracker no monthly fee, consisting of a flashlight, emergency blankets and an extra telephone with the battery full.

3. Distribute the load intelligently

Getting all suitcases and luggage to fit in the trunk is sometimes an art rather than a science, but there are a couple of golden rules that you should always follow:

• The heaviest items – not the largest ones – should be in the trunk, in the lowest position, evenly distributed, that is, without loading one side more than the other.
• In case not all your luggage fits in the trunk or you carry backpacks and bags, put them on the floor of the car so that they do not become projectiles in case of sudden braking.

4. Make yourself comfortable

A proper posture is a difference between arriving fresh at your destination or doing so with back cramps and numb legs. Often drivers sit too far from the steering wheel and the pedals.

In a proper handling posture:

• Your legs are flexed, so you can press the brake pedal down firmly.
• Your elbows are also flexed so that you can turn the steering wheel at least a quarter turn hard and without losing grip.
• Your two hands should be on the wheel. If you have to use the gear lever, your right hand should always return to the wheel.
• Your back is straight and loaded in the seat. That not only prevents back and neck pain, it also keeps you alert.

5. Don’t to be reckless

The holidays are definitely to relax, but not to be reckless. Some positions that might seem perfectly normal and comfortable – such as your co-pilot raising the feet to the board or taking them out the window – represent a serious risk that is not worth taking.

Likewise, no passenger should get carried away by the enthusiasm and look out for the sunroof, let alone take out the entire torso. Other lifelong recommendations are also not to get hands, arms, feet or head from a moving vehicle.

Finally, with the rise of smartphones and tablets, it is important to be careful with the reflections that these glass screens cause. Never underestimate how much a light beam can affect you, even if it reaches you through the rear view mirror. If your passengers will use electronic devices, try to use anti-glare screen protectors.

6. Avoid distractions

During the whole trip, put your attention on the road and the other drivers. Staying straight ahead for too long is boring and tedious, so it is best to make stops every two hours to change drivers or to rest your legs and refresh your mind.

If you have to use the GPS, try to have your co-driver take care of it and give you the necessary instructions. Also, ignore phone calls. If it is a very urgent call, you can get along and stop for a couple of minutes.

Finally, if you travel with restless children, have a plan ready to keep them busy and as quiet as possible, whether they watch a movie, listen to music or sleep.If your children are full of energy and do not stop playing and moving, perhaps it is best to make a stop to play for a while outdoors, run, shout and jump so they can do the rest of the trip with peace of mind. You can put outdoor GPS trackers such as GoFindMe on your children when they are outdoors to keep an eye on them.