Whether you are out on the road for everyday travel or on a family vacation, it is best to have some roadside assistance & safety tips in mind. It is a nightmare scenario to be traveling down the road and have an emergency arise that could easily have been prevented with just a little bit of preparation.
Keep A Tool Kit For Roadside Assistance
It is essential to keep an emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. Doing this may save you not only time but money as well. Vehicle emergency kits should include jumper cables or a jump pack. Having these readily available can you help you to quickly jump-start your car or truck.
Keep Those Old Phones For Roadside Assistance!
It is best to keep an extra cell phone and cell phone in the vehicle at all times. Phones are one of the best roadside assistance tools you could have. Pro Tip: Even an old phone that is “disconnected” can still call 911 in an emergency! Keep those old phones charged up!
Furthermore, it is a good idea to keep bottles of water and snacks for not only you and your family, but also for pets in case they may get stranded with you as well. Snacks and water bottles can be kept in the glove compartment, middle console, or in the luggage area. Just make sure to keep your water and snacks up to date so you don’t find yourself eating expired food.
Flashlight For Night Time Roadside Emergencies Is A Must
Having a flashlight with an extra set of new batteries is also a must. You never know what time of day you might find yourself in a situation so it is good to prepare in case it happens at night. Flashlights are great at alerting other vehicles that you’re broken down.
Weather can change quickly and it is impossible to drive with ice on the window. Furthermore, a great item to have in the luggage area of your vehicle is a blanket. You may start your day with the weather being nice and warm but nighttime may be a different story. Or if the weather is already cold outside it is a great idea to have a nice warm blanket for you in case it’s needed. Speaking of weather, having a raincoat, gloves, umbrella, and tarp is good in case you find yourself in a situation and it is raining or snowing outside. These items will protect you from the elements.
First Aid While You Wait For Roadside Assistance
A first-aid kit is also a must have. Especially if you are traveling with kids it is always a good idea to have a first-aid kit with bandages, gauze, Neosporin, and antiseptic wipes. Moreover, it’s important to have a first-aid kit if you happen to get into an accident and need something to help while you wait for the emergency responders to get to you. Paper towels, rags, and wet wipes are a great resource to have in any vehicle. From spills to leaking transmission fluid, having those resources on hand will go a long way in helping to clean up a mess.
Be Prepared For Your Roadside Emergency
Another set of items one should keep on hand is a basic set of tools and some duct tape. If it happens that you just have a cap loose or something else that just needs to be tightened and secured, basic tools and duct tape will get the job done. While trying to figure out what is wrong with your vehicle or while working on your vehicle it is a smart idea to have emergency warning devices on hand, such as reflectors and road flares. This will ensure other motorists see you. Another tool to have for roadside safety is a shovel.
You may find you and your family in a situation where you may need to dig a tire out of a mud pit or wet sand. Moreover, it would be highly beneficial to keep some sort of traction aid like salt, non-clumping cat litter, or sand in case your vehicle gets stuck. This will ensure that you are able to get your vehicle out of a sticky situation safely and quickly.
Keep Items Fresh & Up To Date
Definitely make sure that you keep these items fresh, up to date, and in stock, as you never know when you may run across a time that you may need any one of these helpful roadside safety resources. If you do find yourself in a situation where you need to pull over, whether it is because of a breakdown, flat tire, you run out of gas, or any other possible scenario, here are the best safety tips. First and foremost the best thing you can do for yourself and your family or friends who may be traveling with you is to stay calm. Getting upset, overwhelmed, or frantic will not help anyone in this situation.
Get Your Vehicle To Safety
Secondly, it is best to try and coast your vehicle off to the side of the road. If traveling on a highway or strip of road with multiple lanes it is a good idea to put on your turn signal to show other drivers you need to get over. Do not make any unnecessary risks trying to cross lanes of traffic to get over, slowing maneuver your way to the side.
If you are on the freeway try your best to take the next exit or get to the right shoulder. The right shoulder is safer since the left shoulder is the lane closest to the fast lane and other motorists are not as aware that someone may be broken down on that left shoulder. Ideally, at the next exit you can pull into a parking lot or gas station and more safely examine what may be wrong with your vehicle.
Use Your Common Sense In Roadside Situations
Thirdly, only get out of your vehicle if you know for sure it is safe to do so. If you are still on the freeway make sure to get as far away from the oncoming traffic as possible and never ever wait for help directly in front of or behind your vehicle. If you happen to observe smoke or flames immediately exit the vehicle and call 911.
You May Need A Tow Service
Next it’s a good idea to try and examine your vehicle to determine what may be wrong. Did you just run out of gas, blow a tire, or has your engine overheated? These are all very common problems when a car breaks down. Make sure if you break down at night to make yourself visible. This is where having properly prepared roadside safety items comes in handy. In this situation it is wise to use road flares and any reflectors you may have.
Furthermore, if you suspect the issue is coming from under the hood of your vehicle make sure to take caution when opening up the hood. It’s best to know hot to safely open the hood of your vehicle before you ever experience a breakdown so try to practice at home to get comfortable opening it.
Be familiar with how to keep the hood open like knowing where the prop rod is and how to securely fashion it. Before ever opening the hood though, make sure the hood is not too hot. If the hood is hot there may be extremely hot steam or flames underneath it. In that case do not open the hood and wait until you can comfortably touch the hood of the vehicle. Depending on how dire the situation is you can either call 911 for help or call roadside assistance. If you think it is an emergency then certainly call 911 for help. Otherwise, call for tow truck and wait in a safe area for them to arrive.
