Summer is here and for many people that means just one thing – vacation! With long lines at the airports, it makes sense that many people are choosing to drive to their warm weather destination. If your summer plans include a road trip, here is a checklist of 7 tips to keep cross off your list before setting off into the sunset:
- Make sure your car is summer ready. Before you load up your suitcases and toss in your cooler, make sure that your car is summer ready. Take a few minutes to check tires for wear and correct pressure, top off all fluids and change your windshields wipers if necessary. You will also want to throw in an emergency kit, make sure your cell phone is fully charged, and that you have your sunglasses!
- Brush up on how to share the road with motorcycles. Warm weather means there are more motorcycles and bicycles on the roads. Knowing how to share the road with our two-wheeled friends is important. This means allowing for at least a four-second following distance behind a cyclist and never encroaching on a cyclist’s lane space.
- Be ready in case a summer storm hits! Did you know that it takes close to 30 minutes of steady rain to wash all the dirt and oil off of the roadways? This means that if you are caught in a quick downpour, the roads could quickly become slippery.
- Drive sober! Drinking alcoholic beverages in the sun is not only dangerous; it can also lead you to do things that you normally would not do, like drink and drive. Hot sunny weather tends to make people perspire and become dehydrated. Combine this with a few alcoholic beverages and you may not be safe to drive, even if you have only had one or two. Do yourself and your fellow motorists a favor, please do not drink and drive.
- Buckle up! Before you start your engine, make sure that everyone is your vehicle is buckled up. Not only is wearing a seat belt the law, but it will also help keep you in your vehicle if you are involved in an accident. Drivers and passengers who are wearing their seatbelts are much more likely to suffer fewer injuries or decrease the likelihood of death if they are properly fastened.
- Slow down! Take some of the pressure out of your vacation by allowing yourself to get to your destination whenever you get there—no rushing! By slowing down, you will also help to get you to your destination safely. The roadways tend to be more congested in summer with extra drivers on the road and road work around every turn. While it might take you a bit longer to make it to your journey’s end, slow is steady is the best summer pace.
- Take a chill pill! Road construction and congestion can make summer driving feel like a nightmare. The best thing you can do is relax. No one has cargo space for a case of road rage this summer!
If you or a loved one was seriously injured after being involved in a crash, the experienced Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. can help. Our experienced team of Kansas City Injury Attorneys will make sure that your rights are protected and that you receive the compensation you deserve. Trust the Kansas City Personal Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. to help you, just as they have helped countless injury victims around the area, in both Kansas and Missouri. We invite you to contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673 to schedule an initial consultation. Do not delay, call today!