#SafeliteSafe10 tips for keeping your family safe on the road

Summer is upon us and that means family traveling time.  As fun as the up and coming travels might seem, you still need to get prepared for the possibility of accidents along the way.  No one wants to think of these things but they do happen. The girl scout in me always wants to be prepared for these humps and bumps. How and what do you do to get ready for a trip? Do you have a kit that you take along for safety or do you just make it up as you go along?

Here are my Top 10 safety tips for your (and our own) up and coming travels:

#1 If you leave late, expect to arrive late- This saying is always stuck in my head when running late for our destination.  Do not try and make up time on the road by going faster if you've left later than planned. If you do, you are putting yourself, your family and the other drivers around you at risk. Slow and steady like the turtle should be all of our driving mottos.

#2 Check your spare tire- When was the last time you checked our spare tire? Some tires are up and under the car body and can suffer damages from road debris.  Before your trip, pull it out and get it inspected.

#3 Keep your eyes open for bikes and motorcycles. I know that sometimes we get annoyed with motorcyclist who love to swerve in and out and between cars.  Let them do it. You can't control them.

#4 Keep a safe distant behind all vehicles on the road- This seems easy enough but it never fails on the highway or in and around town people follow too close to other drivers. Not sure how close is too close? Pull out your vehicle manual or your state drivers manual for the required guidelines. Follow them.

#5 Keep your ears open- I know this seems like a no-brainer BUT you, as the driver should NOT be wearing ear buds and jamming to your favorite tunes on your mp3 player. Your ears need to be listening for car problems, other cars & trucks as well as other noises in the outside environment.

#6 Do not floss your teeth or put on make up while you are driving- Again, this should be a no-brainer but it people do this all the time. They take their eyes off the road and focus into the mirror to floss, put on make up and even brush their teeth. Anytime you take your focus off of the road and onto the mirror you are just asking for an animal, road debris or a swerving car to get in your field of vision.

#7 Carry a safety kit in your car- This is something we should all do but I know we are guilty of not doing it. Each kit should have a flare to allow other cars to see that you are pulled over to the side of the road. The kit should also contain a flashlight, spare batteries, a blanket, jumper cables, paper towel, car oil and more. What do you think should be in the kit?

#8 Plan your trip before you leave your home- Yes, before going on a trip, plan it. Get maps marked, GPS set and get a feel for the area you are traveling. Don't let yourself plan your trip while you are driving. If you think that you are lost, miss your exit or find yourself in a detour, do NOT fiddle with the GPS while driving or pull out the map to find your way.  Pull over to a safe spot and get your eyes and brain off the road. Anything that takes your eyes off the road is a road hazard for yourself and other vehicles around you.

#9 Follow all road signs- Road signs have been carefully placed for your safety. Don't ignore them. Road construction signs are there for your safety as well as the workers. Huge fines are now in place in most States for vehicles who do not follow what they say. Those signs are not optional. Always know the posted speed limit and follow it.

#10 Buckle up, do not drink & drive and no texting- Ok since this is a top 10 list, I'm combining a few safety tips. Seat belts and car seats are for your safety. Do not let yourself or others in your vehicle become a crash dummy statistic. Fines are now being given for those who are not buckled. Our state has a "click it or ticket" program. It is silly that drivers need to be reminded of this.  As for the drinking and driving, just don't do it. Do not leave a  baseball game or family reunion full of alcohol. Finally, if you have a cell phone do not answer a text while driving. Do not read them and do not send them. Again, drivers can't be trusted not to do this so now states are jumping the band wagon and creating laws that you can text and drive.

So what tips do you have to share? I'd love to read your tips.

Here are a few tips from Safelite AutoGlass® which I would NEVER have thought of.

#1 Think you can ignore a chip in your windshield? Think again! The windshield provides up to 30% of your vehicles structural integrity, and a chip smaller than 6 inches (or the size of a dollar bill) can easily be repaired by filling it with a special resin.

#2 Forget do-it-yourself repair kits. The resin could easily shrink or yellow, lowering the quality of the repair. Safelite AutoGlass uses a patented repair process… A vacuum is created over the damaged area and the resin penetrates and fills the finest micro-cracks. The technician pulls off the vacuum changer and the UV light hardens the resin. Safelite’s resin is proven to be the strongest and longest lasting on the market.

#3 With many insurance companies, there is no deductible for the repair.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Safelite blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”