Are you about to embark on a car trip alone or with your family? To help, we’ve compiled the ultimate checklist to ensure your road trip is fun and safe!
The Fun Checklist
First, you want your road trip to be fun for you and your passengers. Car trips can be dull, so bring plenty of entertainment like music, games, and even a camera!
Offline Music
What’s a road trip without tunes? If you get most of your music from a streaming platform like Spotify or Apple Music, make sure you have at least one offline playlist downloaded to your phone so you can enjoy some music even when driving through the middle of nowhere.
It’s also a good idea to download audiobooks or podcasts as a change of pace and for those lulls in the trip when everyone else is asleep and it’s just you driving and listening to the radio.
Road Trip Games
Kids can get stir-crazy when cooped up in a car for hours, so it’s always wise to bring along some entertainment like road trip games. If your kids have a tablet, download some children’s games they can play offline to keep them occupied throughout the trip.
You can always go the old-school route and play some car games many of us played as a kid, like 21 questions or the license plate game. And, if nothing else, many department and game stores have sections of games specifically for passing the time on long trips.
Camera
If this road trip is a significant event in your or your family’s lives, document it with a camera! Everyone has a camera on their phone, but that’s not as fun as bringing a real camera for photographs.
Consider bringing a disposable camera or an instant camera with self-developing film to photograph all the sights you see along the way! In the end, you can put together a scrapbook documenting the journey.
The Safety Checklist
We’ve covered the fun parts, but we can’t forget the safety aspects of our ultimate road trip checklist.
Tire Pressure
First, you’ll want to check and correct the tire pressure for your car before heading out. Underinflated tires are a safety hazard that could potentially puncture or blow out, and they also diminish the vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
If you’re driving hundreds of miles, you want to squeeze as much fuel savings out of your car as possible!
Car Battery
Next on the list is your car’s battery. A car’s battery is essential, but it can quickly go bad and leave drivers stranded if neglected.
If you haven’t looked at your vehicle’s battery in a while, inspect it closely and look for any signs of decay or corrosion. Also, ensure it’s firmly mounted and not loosely shaking while driving, which can cause problems on a long trip.
Learn the Laws of Where You’re Driving Through
So this is one that just can’t be stressed enough, but one mistake or misunderstanding could end up leaving you to look into DUI lawyers to help you out, well, as an example. So, if you’re through the US for example, the traffic laws can vary not only by state, but also by county as well.
For example, in one state, even if you have trash in the back that contains alcohol (such as an empty can of beer for example from days ago), well, if a police officer pulls you over, you can still get a DUI or some sort of fine due to open container laws. So you need to be cautious, make your route ahead of time, and yes, look through the the laws where you’re going and passing through!
Emergency Kit
Lastly, you want to prepare for worst-case scenarios on a road trip, so you should always have an emergency kit of supplies and tools in the car. You should pack things to help in case of an accident or if your vehicle dies, like:
- Water and non-perishable food
- First aid kit
- Gas can
- Spare tire jack and tools
- Flashlight
- Blankets
These simple supplies can make the difference between a minor hiccup on your journey or your entire trip turning into a disaster.