Most people know the basic rules of travel safety from driver's ed class. Check your car's tires (including the spare), brakes, and fluids before starting out. Take a rest stop every 100 miles to combat highway hypnosis. Slow down when roads are wet. To go along with these basics, here are more tips to make your travel easier and safer. Use the tips that apply to your situation, apply common sense, and enjoy a feeling of security as you set out on the road.
•Keep a stocked first aid kit in your car. The contents will depend on the type of traveling you do, but for most people one of the commercially available kits will be sufficient. Add bee sting kits, sunblock, insect repellent or other pharmaceuticals to meet your particular needs.
•Remember to replenish your first aid kit as needed.
•Carry a basic toolkit. Even though most repairs are beyond the home mechanic nowadays, sometimes just cleaning the battery terminals or tightening a connection can save time and a service call.
•A set of jumper cables can solve the all-too-frequent dead battery problem. A high quality set will give you enough length to reach to the battery of a car pulled up behind you, avoiding dangerous maneuvering on the highway.
•For more flexibility with the dead battery problem, consider a portable battery booster. These battery packs provide enough power to jump start a car, recharge by plugging into your car's lighter socket, and have a power inverter that allows you to run 110 volt radios or lights at your campsite or during a power outage.
•Although it does not happen often, an accident that traps an occupant in a car can require fast action to avoid tragedy. One of the specially designed car escape hammers can slice through a stuck seat belt and break a window to allow a quick exit. Make sure you keep it in a place accessible to the driver.
•Keep a 12 volt rechargeable flashlight like the Dashlite plugged into the dash. It can be a godsend when changing a flat or pulling up to a vacation house at night.
•When traveling with pets, avoid distractions and possible interference with the driver by keeping them in the back seats. With a more exuberant animal, an easy-to-install car barrier gives them freedom to move around at will and to see you, yet keeps them from jumping into the front.
•When traveling through the country or even some suburbs, be aware of increasing deer populations. A collision with a deer can cause enough damage to make your car inoperable and is often fatal to the deer.
•Deer Alert whistles are inexpensive insurance in deer country. They stick on your bumper and use the air passing through them when your car is moving to generate a high-pitched sound that warns deer as you approach them.
•The slightly more expensive Electronic Deer Avoidance System hooks into your car electrical system to generate warning tones even when your car is moving at slower speeds.
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