Before taking a trip, make sure your cars is in good condition. Have your local dealer or mechanic perform a maintenance check up. A preventive tune up could mean the difference between life or death on the road. Make sure your tires are in good condition, along with spare (and your can of tire inflator).
Plan Ahead! Ideally, you should always know ahead of time where the gas stations are located, how much fuel it will take to get from Point A to Point B, how many miles you will be driving, how long it will take you to reach your destination, what time of the day you will be driving and what the weather forecast is for the area you will be driving through. Start your journey with a full tank of gas and fill it regularly you travel. A good rule of thumb is: Never allow your tank to go below half as this could endanger your resident safety. You never know when the stations in some of the small towns on your trip might shut down early, leaving you stranded. For extra preparation, especially on long distance through thinly populated areas, carry a spare tank of gas.
Resident Safety
Keep important items such as a blanket, and water with you at all times. make sure your cell phone is fully charged when you are on the road to increase your resident safety. Better yet, invest in a charge that can be fully hooked up to your car.
Always leave as much information as you can about your trip and schedule with relatives, friends or neighbors. If anything goes wrong, they will at least know where you should be at a certain time. You also want to check in with them at a regular time.
