For most Pinoys, it’s become a tradition to get out of the hustle and bustle of the big city whenever the Holy Week comes along. Some go to Tagaytay for a quick getaway, some head over to the beaches in Zambales, and some even take a long drive up north to visit La Union, Baguio, Vigan, and Pagudpud.
Whatever road you choose, it’s important to take note of road trip safety tips to help keep you and your family get to and from your chosen destinations in one piece. We’ve listed down 10 tips you might want to double check before hitting the road.
- Get your vehicle checked. Take it to your trusted mechanic to make sure that the car’s engine, battery, belts, tires, lights, windshield wipers, and air con are all working properly. Find out if you need to have an engine oil change. Make sure that your car is properly filled with the necessary power steering fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid.
- Pack on-the-road emergency kit for the car: extra fluids, water, spare tires, jumper cables, a jack, warning cone or triangle, and a heavy duty flashlight, as well.
- Pack on-the-road emergency kit for everyone: adhesive bandages in different sizes, gauze pads, cotton balls, cotton swabs, antibiotics, pain relievers, digital thermometer, alcohol, scissors, and antiseptic wipes. If you’re travelling with kids, don’t forget to bring your kids’ prescribed vitamins and medications, as well as other items more specific to one’s medical conditions – Bonamine for dizziness, Diatabs for sensitive tummies, etc.
- Plan ahead. We don’t just mean the places where you’re staying and all other activities you plan on doing but basically on what roads and rest stops to take. Doing so helps you calculate just how much gas you need to fill your vehicles with and how long before you can switch drivers, too.
- Get a good night’s sleep. Some road accidents occur because of drowsy drivers so make sure to get enough sleep if you’ll be driving 3-5 hours straight in the early morning before you get a change of drivers.
- Eat at home before heading out. Apart from saving you money because you’ll be too full to drop by the first few stopovers, this tip also helps ensure that none of your road trip companions are too grumpy for the trip.
- Entertain, entertain, entertain. If you’re travelling with kids, you know how easily bored and fidgety they get. So instead of losing your mind over unending “Asan na tayo? Malapit na ba?” questions, try bringing board games or load up your iPhones or tablets with games to keep them occupied.
- Mind the sun. Mainit mag-byahe. We all know that. And you know what comes with that heat? Skin cancer, plus any other life-threatening skin conditions we can get with harmful sun exposure. So invest in a sunshade, slather sun block on everyone, put those sunglasses on, and wear hats, if possible. Also, whenever you leave the car, make sure to drape a blanket or a towel over the seats so it won’t burn your skin the moment you get back in.
- Travel light (as much as you can). Added weight on the vehicle drags down the speed and tends to make the vehicle lean and lurch when making turns. Unless otherwise necessary, store all heavy items low in the seats or in the compartment. If you really will be carrying stuff on top of your car, make sure to secure all these properly.
- Wear your seatbelt at all times. We mean ALL the time. Numerous deadly accidents have been prevented just because of seatbelts alone, so do not dare go Rambo on this. Put your seatbelts on – ALWAYS.
