This post is part of a paid partnership with Cooper Tires, which provided information for this story. Learn more about protecting your tires and your car by following the hashtag #TakeOnPotholes on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Hitting the open road during the warmer months is the quintessential experience for American families. It’s time to roll down the window, turn up the music and have a cooler full of drinks and snacks. The most important component of a road trip is obviously your car. Is it ready to take on the wear and tear of summer travel? With advice from the folks at Cooper Tire, we’ve put together this list of 7 tips to make sure you have fun and travel safely.
In the Boston suburbs, the snow has melted and the damage from the winter months is everywhere. Cracks, crevices, and potholes create a minefield I navigate every day. In April, we had our main “road trip” car inspected. I found out that 2 of our tires were nearly bald on the outer edges. It was horrifying to find out that I was putting my family at risk by driving on unsafe tires. I had no idea that the potholes I encountered daily were putting so much wear and tear on my tires.
Travel Safely & Have Fun with 7 Road Trip Safety Tips
Inspect Your Vehicle
Jesseca Egerton, Director of Brand Development at Cooper Tires says, “To ensure that you are treating your vehicle with the best care, it is important to make sure that all parts of the car, including the tires, are regularly checked and well maintained. This includes avoiding potholes while driving whenever possible to do so safely, or inspecting tires if they come in contact with potholes.” Look at some of the crazy potholes in my area.
Think about it, your tires are the only parts of your vehicle that come in contact with and keep you connected to the road. For safety and good performance, you must properly care for, maintain and inspect your tires.
Get your car checked before you head out on your journey. Have your mechanic check your brakes, tires, fluid levels, etc. Be sure you have the battery checked and have jumper cables and a fully inflated spare tire.
Even if a road trip is not in your future, keep an eye on your tires. According to Cooper Tire, it only takes 10 minutes. What you need to do:
- Check the pressure.
- Check the tread depth.
- Examine the overall condition for cuts, cracks, splits, punctures, irregular wear, and bulges.
Stop by Cooper Tires site for more detailed information on tire inspection.
Learn How to Hit a Pothole
Did you know there is a “right way” to hit a pothole? Even if you don’t have a lot of potholes in your area, keep this in mind when traveling, especially to any roads that get snow in the winter.
Obviously, the easiest way to avoid pothole damage is to avoid hitting one in the first place. Scan the road for trouble spots and keep out of puddles where potholes “hide.” Sometimes it is impossible to avoid hitting a pothole. If this happens, safely slow down as much as possible and release the breaks just before making contact with the pothole. Hitting a pothole at higher speeds increases your chance of damage to your tires, wheels, and suspension.
Be Prepared for Emergencies
Check to make sure your first aid kit is adequately stocked. Don’t have one? You can usually find a good one at your pharmacy or big box store. It’s pretty easy to make your own based on your family’s needs as well. Don’t forget things like a flashlight, blankets, and some basic tools. Also, bring water and extra snacks, just in case. Also, consider joining a program that provides roadside assistance.
Prepare your entertainment options
For our family, there is nothing worse than depending on a standard AM/FM radio. Be Sure to load up your smartphone with all of your favorite music. You can also create playlists on your favorite music streaming services. Podcasts can be fun too. Have the kids download movies and music as well. Also encourage the kids to go unplugged with games like car bingo, 20 questions and write in road trip journals.
Clean Your Car Inside and Out
By the end of the school year, my car is a mess. Old gum wrappers, water bottles and tissues are just a few of the items I find under the seats. If you can afford it, I highly recommend springing for a full car detail. The interior will be as close to new as possible. It’s a great way to start fresh. It’s also a good idea to purge your car every few days of trash buildup. I find starting clean helps inspire the entire family to keep it that way during our trip.
Take Breaks
Try to make a stop every 3-4 hours for bathroom breaks, stretching and a bit of exercise to get the blood flowing. Bring a ball or a frisbee for easy pit stop play. If you can, find a few “off the beaten path” stops to surprise the kids. We once found the longest continuous candy counter in the US. Needless to say, the kids were thrilled!
Be Patient and Have Fun
Remember why you set off on a road trip in the first place. You are bound to hit traffic, but don’t let it get you down. It may make sense to travel early in the morning or late at night to avoid the rush with minimal stress. The license plate game is a great one for traffic jams. See how many states you can find or find every letter in the alphabet.
Taking breaks is a big, big part of road trip safety. It can be tempting to drive those extra hours to finish off a trip or take advantage of the light, but you’ll just get overly8 tired, and that is very dangerous.
We actually replaced our SUV with Cooper Tires last year! They really do wear extremely well too! Just in time for our road trip next month!
These are really great tips, especially making sure your car is in good working condition.
These are all really good tips. I think being prepared for emergencies is always something to think about. You never know what could happen while on a trip.
These are great tips! Being prepared before you hit the road is important!
Road trips can be tricky with a big family like ours. I love your tips. I don’t need any more complications than keeping the kids entertained.
Great tips for road trips, hoping to go on one in July. My mechanic actually recommended Cooper tires so that’s what I have on right now. Have been very impressed with them.
I do need lots of potty breaks when traveling. That candy thing sounds like a great place for a break.
Road trip safety is so important! My biggest fear is something happening to the car while we are traveling!
Thanks for these tips. They are even more important during the vacation season!
These tips are so important, yet many neglect them. We are very self-conscious and are equipped. We see people on the road stranded when they could have avoided it.
We love to do road trips and these are awesome tips. Thanks for sharing!
These are great tips. I love going on road trips and this is such a huge help.
Chicago is pothole central every spring & they take a toll. Great road trip safety tips from Cooper Tires. #TakeOnPotholes
Hello, These tips are so important, yet many neglect them. We are very self-conscious and are equipped. We see people on the road stranded when they could have avoided it.
Hi, I have to admit that earning a living while traveling sounds great to me. I, never even thought of some of the ideas you provided above. I would love to be able to earn a passive income through real estate rental properties but ever.
Hello, These are all really good tips. I think being prepared for emergencies is always something to think about. You never know what could happen while on a trip.travel
Hi, I’m just glad it was something we could handle. I have two credit cards I use for everything. One is my American Airlines Advantage card, and the other is my Chase card. I actually might have just stuck with the Advantage card, but it charges foreign transaction fees! That’s why I think Chase is such a great card for travelers. Those foreign transaction fees can add up!
Hello, These tips are so important, yet many neglect them. We are very self-conscious and are equipped. We see people on the road stranded when they could have avoided it.Sarlat hotel
I am heading back to Budapest in January and the first place I’m going to go is to the baths! It’s so nice.Glad you loved Budapest as much as I do. Hope you get back there soon.
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Hello, This seems like such a stunning trip! I too would love to explore an organic farm, take cooking classes, walk on beautiful sunny hikes, enjoy delicious food and bask in the sun. I cannot wait for summer vacation to start already!
I got engaged the day before we left. We went to Bangkok and Phuket. My only wish was that we had more than a Five star week to explore. 2018 I will be getting married and we will be going to Portugal and Spain on our honeymoon! I am going to have to add some of your travels to my bucket list!
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Wow! The baths look amazing in winter with all the steam! We bet they were so relaxing too, especially the hot ones. We visited Budapest in the summer and loved it. It was HOT though! We can’t recommend Budapest enough to people looking to travel. While it was good in the summer, their food would delicious and warm in winter! Thanks for sharing! We love the pics!
Hi, I have to admit that earning a living while traveling sounds great to me. I, never even thought of some of the ideas you provided above. I would love to be able to earn a passive income through real estate rental properties but ever.