By John Gobbels, COO Medjet
There’s nothing more American than packing up the car and taking a family summer road trip. With so many travel restrictions still in place, this is sure to be the summer that the “Great American Road Trip” returns.
Whether you’re headed down the road to the nearest beach, across state lines for a cool mountain getaway, or all the way across the country to hit a few National Parks, making sure you get your family there safely is likely top of mind. By following these summer road trip tips, you’ll help ensure you’ve thought of everything to keep your family safe while you’re on the road.
I think we’ve all gotten enough “wash, wash, wash your hands and be careful where you stay, and what you touch” tips throughout this COVID crisis, so I’m going to stick with some of the more “old-school” road trip tips (but please do remember to wash frequently, pack plenty of sanitizer for when you can’t, and keep your hands away from your face).
Tune up the car
Before leaving on your road trip, take your car for a tune-up. Make sure all oil and fluid levels are topped off and that the tires are properly inflated. Consider that your car may soon be under stress it’s not used to, like driving up and down mountain passes, so make sure your brakes are working properly as well.
If you do experience some minor glitch while driving, it helps to know simple car maintenance techniques like how to use jumper cables, how to refill your wiper fluid, how to check the air pressure in your tires and how to change a flat tire—so brush up on your maintenance skills before you leave. Clean your headlights, taillights, signal lights and the inside and outside of your windshield.
Many newer cars come with their own roadside assistance. Familiarize yourself with the coverage and make sure the emergency numbers are handy. If you don’t have this coverage, consider joining a roadside assistance service like American Automobile Association (AAA). As a member, AAA will come to your rescue should you lock your keys in the car, get a flat tire, or break down.
Make sure car seats and boosters are properly installed
The annual family road trip time is a good time to double check that car and booster seats are properly installed and appropriately fitted to your child. In most cities, local hospitals or fire stations provide free car seat fittings and instillations. Schedule an appointment before you hit the road and travel with peace of mind.
Bring a map
You may plan to use GPS to navigate to your destination, but you never know when you may lose signal, cell phone service or your GPS might fail. Good, old-fashioned maps won’t lose power and are reliable no matter what goes wrong, so be sure to bring one along. Compasses are just plain cool, so grab one of those as well!
Consider the weather
We’re all aware of the dangers of driving in inclement weather. Severe summer weather can often produce heavy downpours, tornados and flash floods. If the weather looks threatening, tune in to a local radio station for updates and keep your ears peeled for storm sirens and alerts on your cell phone. It’s always good advice to stay on main roads and highways if possible and try to avoid back country roads when you can—especially if you’re driving in unfamiliar areas that may have the threat of flash floods.
If you find yourself in storm conditions that force you to stop driving, make sure you pull all the way off of the highway and turn on your hazard lights. If you are stranded and have to run your vehicle for any reason, do so for 10 minutes every hour and make sure windows are open slightly to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. If you find you’ll be spending the night in your car, illuminating the interior lights will not use as much battery as your exterior light, but still provide a visual indicator to rescuers.
Have a travel safety & sanitizer kit
You should always have a safety kit in your car, but make sure your kit is well stocked before leaving for your summer road trip. Your kit should include warm blankets, water and first aid items, a small flashlight, flares, a battery operated radio and an emergency contact card. It’s also a good idea to keep a car safety hammer near the driver’s seat. If you happen to be in an accident or your car is submerged in water, the car safety hammer can be used to break the window.
If you are prescribed important medication, keep it in the car with you and not in the trunk in the event that your trunk becomes inaccessible.
Pack a roll of paper towels, some alcohol wipes and a small bottle of cleaning or sanitizing spray. Use gloves or a paper towel as a barrier, or wipe down the pump handle with an alcohol wipe, before pumping gas. If you stop at a hotel, even if it boasts about its cleanliness protocols, be sure to wipe down counter tops, the TV remote control, and anything else commonly handled. Don’t set anything that will potentially come near your face directly on countertops, use a washcloth or hand towel to set things on.
Leave your phone on for cell location
Should your family experience an emergency in a rural environment where communication with the outside world is not possible, remember that cell phone location technologies are extremely helpful in locating missing people. If you’re stranded in your car, keeping your cell phone on will help rescuers pinpoint your location. However, when your phone is out of power it will no longer be helpful in locating you. Keep portable phone chargers and power cords in your car so you’re not stuck with a drained battery in an emergency (don’t forget to fully charge them in advance)!
If you’re tired, stop driving
It seems like an obvious tip, but according to the CDC there are 72,000 crashes and nearly 6,000 fatal crashes due to drowsy driving each year. A study by AAA found that the risks of fatigued driving are comparable to drunk driving. We know it can be tempting to push through to your destination, even when you’re exhausted, but the risks aren’t worth it. If you begin to feel fatigued, get your family to a hotel and resume your drive in the morning.
Let someone know your destination and when you plan to arrive
Communicating your travel plans with someone back home is a crucial piece of your safety plan. Designate a friend or family member to share your itinerary with. If plans change, let them know. When you’ve stopped for the night, check in and share your location as well as your travel plans for the following day. These mundane details could be crucial in locating your family should you suddenly drop off the radar.
Be prepared for a worst-case scenario
It’s hard to think about, but if your family were involved in an auto accident with injuries, or if someone should fall ill enough to land in the hospital, what is the long-term plan for returning back home? With an air-medical transport membership like Medjet, members who are hospitalized 150 miles or more from home can arrange medical transport back to their hometown hospital for free, after the cost of the membership (sounds expensive but it’s incredibly affordable…they start at $99). Your health insurance will only get you to the nearest “acceptable” medical facility and pay the bills for treatment there, but Medjet can arrange air medical transfer to your home hospital of choice, regardless of whether it’s deemed “medically necessary” or not. People don’t think about it, but being stuck in a hospital even a few states away can be just as bad as being stuck in a hospital half way around the world. Higher out of pocket costs, and the expenses of family member remaining nearby for any extended period of time, tend to cause significant family disruption and may very well break the bank. A medical transport membership for the whole family is worthwhile coverage to explore.
It can be stressful and overwhelming to think about what danger could befall your family while on the road. Hopefully, you’ll never find a need for this information, but following these safety tips will give you the confidence to handle a crisis, and a sense of comfort knowing that you are prepared for the unexpected.
This guest post comes courtesy of John Gobbels, Chief Operating Officer of Medjet, an air medical transport and travel security membership program. Gobbels is an expert in critical care transport, a parent, and an avid “overlander” (extreme road tripper).