Prepare For The Worst On Your Road Trips
Road trips are so much fun. Whether you go alone or with company nothing relieves stress more than traveling. But circumstances are unpredictable. You can get stuck anywhere if your car breaks down and that can be very scary when you?re in a remote location. Now the question is, are you prepared for such events?
Well, the first thing you should do when your car breaks down is to remain calm. Bear in mind that panic won?t help – it will just make your situation worse. Then, get your car off the road safely. You wouldn?t want to be in this stressful situation when you go on a road trip. Good thing, you can prepare for such events by having an emergency plan in place.
Here are some helpful tips!
Preparation Tips Before Any Road Trip
- Plan in advance on the things you?d do and who you?d call in case your car breaks down. If you don?t know who to call for roadside assistance, ask your car insurance agent. Insurers may offer such services in your policy. Ask for their phone numbers, save them on your phone or keep them in the glove compartment.
- Make sure your mobile phones are fully charged before you hit the road. If not, bring a car charger or a power bank with you.
- Have an emergency kit in your trunk filled with seasonal supplies.
- Always keep flares or reflective triangles in your trunk. These items will help warn oncoming vehicles that your car is in distress.
- Keep a reflector vest on one of the seat pockets so you would be visible to oncoming vehicles if you decide to leave the car.
Tips When Your Car Breaks Down
- At the first sign of trouble, turn your hazard lights on.
- Keep calm and slow down. Get your vehicle off the road. As much as possible, you should pull over at an exit or breakdown lane.
- Keep your hazard lights on as you pull your car as far off the road as possible. You?re your car breaks down during nighttime, turn on your interior light or flashlights.
- Bear in mind that if you ever want to get out of the car, exit using the door away from the traffic or the passenger side.
- When it?s safe, pop the hood. Deploy flares or use the reflective triangles to alert oncoming cars. Determine your vehicle?s problem.
- Never stand in the road by your car and do not flag down other vehicles. More often than not, it is much safer staying in the car with locked doors than standing in the road. But use your better judgment as your actions should depend on the location and your situation. If you are to wait outside, remove yourself from tropic and stand on the other side of the guardrail.
- Call for roadside assistance or the state police. If you?re not sure where you exactly are, you can use the GPS feature of your smartphone.
- If someone pulls over, open your window enough so you could ask them to call the police for you.
- Wait for help to arrive. Do not walk for help unless you have no other choice. But remember to do so with extreme caution.
It is best to be prepared when embarking on a road trip. If possible, travel earlier in the day so you won?t get stuck on the road when it?s already dark. It?s more difficult to find help during nighttime. Other than that, you should ensure that your car insurance is reliable enough to cover such events.
Here at Velox Insurance, we will help you get the best car insurance for your situation. We have discounts and promos you can qualify in for cheaper rates. Get an auto insurance quote from us now! Call us at 1-855-468-3569 or visit our office near you.