Summer time travel is in full swing! Even with nearly $4/gallon gas…..We tend to hit a lot of traffic whenever we head out for somewhere with all the IL travelers headed north right through our area or if we head south through Chicago. I know we often take safety for granted, but there are some things we are consider when taking a trip:
1. Make sure your vehicle is well cared for. This is easy for me – my husband takes care of it! We saw so many people along the road over Memorial Day weekend with flat tires or broken down trailers. It’s too bad, some of those situations probably could have been avoided.
2. Keep a first aid kit in the car. Band-Aids, instant compresses, gauze & wraps, pain reliever, plastic gloves, antiseptic wipes, and a flashlight. I also carry a CPR shield. Never know if I could help someone else even.
3. Take your time. There’s lots of people headed out for a weekend of fun. It might take longer to get to your destination but it’s better to take your time and watch for the other guy.
4. Text later. We are big on texting and Facebook, etc on our smart phones but not while driving. Our 8 year old even knows about this!
5. Use your seatbelt! It’s there for a reason. Even more importantly, strap your kids in. Make sure you know how to use your child seat. If it’s installed incorrectly, it’s ineffective. We found it so helpful to visit the fire station on one of the days they inspected car seats. There’s a lot to learn! If nothing else, read your manual.
6. Car seat tags: I always had a tag on our son’s car seat that had his full name, birth date, name of his Dr. & phone number, “no known allergies”, parent’s names, emergency contact information, just in case we were unable to speak for him. The tag was attached to his seat so it could be seen when the door was opened or his seat taken out – but not visible through the window. It gave me a lot of peace knowing it was there. I should make another one for his booster now!
7. Never leave kids in the car. When I was younger, it was a common practice. Now I’d never allow my son to stay in the car while I ran in the store or gas station. Never. You never know who’s around and it could be dangerous if it’s too hot. Don’t take a chance. Consider the same advice for your pets!
8. What about your windshield? 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.
9. Watch & keep alert! Over the weekend we almost hit a deer at 75 mph. Scary to think “what if”. Watch out for things on trailers, inattentive or aggressive drivers or people pulling trailers without lights on it. Big no-no.
10. Don’t follow anyone too close, especially trucks or cars hauling something. Someone we know recently was involved in an accident when an ATV came off the trailer ahead of her. Dangerous! She was lucky.
If nothing else, you can avoid rocks and debris from hitting your windshield. Can you repair a chip in the windshield yourself? 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.
Scheduling a windshield chip repair is easy! Companies like Safelite AutoGlass provide mobile service – wherever your car is – often within 24 hours of your initial call.
About Safelite AutoGlass:
Safelite AutoGlass® was founded in 1947. Throughout our more than 60 years of service, our company has grown from a single store in Wichita, Kansas, to a national auto glass provider, serving nearly 4 million customers per year.
Through industry-leading 24-hour instant scheduling, convenient in-shop or mobile service, top-of-the-line materials and SafeTech™ certified technicians, you’ll find that Safelite AutoGlass offers superior customer service, value and quality.
More info: http://www.safelite.com
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“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.”