Top 5 Summer Driving Safety Tips

A favorite thing for many to do during summertime is to take a pleasant road trip. Here are five tips to help you enjoy your trip, stay safe, and have a great time.

1. Be Sure You Can Pay For Gasoline

The price of gasoline is a major expense when traveling by car. The national average of $4.44 per gallon for regular, reported by AAA in July 2022, is useful for your calculations in states east of the Rockies. However, if your trip is in the western states, including California and Nevada, you should expect to pay up to $5.82 per gallon for regular.

2. Stay Cool

You want to ensure your car does not overheat and avoid a tire blowout. Before taking your trip, check your tires for proper inflation and check all the fluid levels. Bring some extra coolant along in case you need a top-up.

Start your journey and each part of your trip with a cool interior. Allow a few minutes for the car’s interior to cool down with the doors open, windows down, and the air-conditioning running to push all the hot air out of the interior. Then, shut the doors and windows. Put the air conditioning in recirculation mode to cool your vehicle down for comfort.

Park your vehicle in the shade and use a sunshade. Wear sunglasses with anti-glare lenses to protect your eyes while on the road. Take along plenty of cool water or sports drinks to be sure to stay hydrated. Use insulated drink bottles and an ice chest to keep enough cool drinks available for the driver and all of the passengers.

3. Never Leave a Child or Pet in the Car Alone

Even on a balmy day, the interior of a car can heat up to over 100°F in a few minutes. If you park your vehicle in the sun, it quickly becomes deadly hot inside. Never, under any circumstances, leave a child or pet in a car, even if the windows are slightly down. The lack of air circulation inside a vehicle increases the heat substantially. The temperature can get up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside air.

4. Don’t Drink and Drive

It is obvious to a sober person that drinking and driving do not mix. However, a drunk person with impaired thinking may make the mistake of driving while intoxicated. Friends don’t let their friends drive when drunk.

5. Drive Defensively, Share the Road, and Pack an Emergency Kit

You may encounter more traffic on the road during the summer. You may also need to share the road with different kinds of summer travelers, such as motorcyclists, bicyclists, camper vans, recreational vehicles, farm equipment, horses, and pedestrians.

Constantly check traffic conditions all around your vehicle by checking the mirrors. When making a lane change, look over your shoulder to check for a car or motorcycle in your blind spot next to your vehicle. Do not follow other cars too closely.

Take along our phone number (281) 475-4535 in case of an accident.

If you get into an accident, especially one with injuries or a fatality, before talking to anyone from the insurance company, call (281) 475-4535 to schedule an appointment for a free consultation.