Tips to Avoid a Car Accident While on Your Next Road Trip

Avoid a car accident while on your next road trip by knowing how to be prepared and what to watch out for. Cars often break down on long trips leading to dangerous situations such as a car accident. With proper planning and safe driving, hitting the road for vacation is a fun way to travel.

Bring a Physical Map

Many people rely on their cell phone’s GPS for navigation. While this is a handy feature, it may not always be reliable when you are in an area without service. Always have the person in the passenger seat check the map. If the driver needs to see the map, pull over. Distracted driving includes reading a map.

Be Prepared in Case of Emergency

It is always a good idea to have emergency essentials in your car such as a first aid kit. It is also wise to make sure your tires are properly inflated, and you have a car jack available.

Have Your Vehicle Inspected Before a Road Trip

Getting your vehicle regularly maintained will ensure the quality of your car and give you peace of mind. Things to make sure to check before a road trip include:

• Tires are fully inflated
• Measure fluid levels
• Take a look at belts and hoses
• Replace wiper blades if needed

Get a Full Night’s Rest

Driving tired is one of the major causes of car accidents in America. In fact, each year approximately 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries result from fatigue car accidents reported the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Keep Your Vehicle’s Tank Above Empty

No one wants to have to hitch hike to the gas station because their vehicle ran out of gas. Keep an eye on your gas tank throughout your trip to avoid this. Hitch hitting would put you at risk for being involved in a car accident if you got hit.

Let Someone Know Where You Are Going

Nothing could be worse than getting in a car accident with a dead cell phone and no one knows where you are. Stay safe on your road trip by letting someone you trust know where you are going.

Have a Phone Charger

If you are in areas without phone service for long periods of time many phones will go into roaming mode. This mode generally uses more battery. Stay safe by having a phone charger with you. You don’t want to be caught in the middle of nowhere with a dead cell phone battery.

In an emergency, stay in your car to make phone calls. Being outside your car purposes a risk for being hit by an oncoming vehicle.

Hire Parke Gordon To Handle Your Car Accident Case

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, call the attorneys at Parke Gordon to handle your case. We are an experienced, well known law firm in the Spokane area. Call us today for a free case review.