Must Haves For Your Next Road Trip
Insurance Claim Lawyer
As temperatures warm up, more people are hitting the road to travel. Whether you’re going across the country, to another state, or even just a few streets over, there are a few essential items you should keep in your car in case of emergency, according to a car accident lawyer with our friends at Patterson Bray PLLC.
Trash Bags
Keeping your car clean is more than just making it look nice: it is making your car safer. Trash or discarded items rolling around the car can become trapped underneath the gas pedal or brake pedal. Loose debris can fly around, blocking the view through the windshield. If you must come to an abrupt stop, items can even come flying forward and hit you, causing some serious injuries ranging from mild bruising to even a potential concussion. Keep a trash bag or some other sort of designated trash receptacle where your passengers can put all of their items away safely. If you choose to bring along trash bags, they can also come in handy for controlling sand after a day at the beach or keeping wet towels off your floorboards after a day at the lake.
Clothing for All Occasions
It is always good to travel with clothes to cover all occasions. While on a road trip in the summer, it can be tempting to not pack long pants and a sweatshirt. However, accidents happen and getting stranded on the side of the road in the dark can be cold in places. Long pants and long sleeves are a good option to have handy if you need to protect your skin. If your car breaks down in the middle of the day and you do not have sunscreen, you may need to stand outside. Long sleeves and pants can protect your skin.
Extra Shoes
Whether your shoes get wet from a rain storm or you wear flip flops and get a flat tire, it is always a good idea to have multiple sets of shoes on hand. Always keep an extra pair of tennis shoes in your car. This should apply to everyone in the car with you as well; if you get into an accident and everyone has flip flops, they may cut their feet on broken glass. Tennis shoes can protect your feet, and offer support if you have to walk to a gas station or other nearby location for help.
Paper Map
In the day and age of electronics, it is not second nature for people to pack paper maps while on a trip. However, batteries run out. Signals can be lost. Phones can be dropped in water. An innumerable amount of unexpected incidents may occur, all which end in you without a phone and completely lost. Keeping a paper map in your car of the specific route you are traveling is a good idea just in case of emergency.
First Aid Kit
No matter how you choose to travel, a first aid kit is essential to have on hand. The kit should include some bandaids of varying sizes, tweezers, over the counter pain medications, larger bandages, disinfectant or sanitizer of some sort to clean wounds, aloe based gel for sunburns, and a small bottle of water. You can either purchase a premade first aid kit at a store, or you can even opt to make your own so that you can tailor it to the location you are traveling.
These items will help your next road trip be successful and safe, but if you get into a car accident, contact a lawyer near you for help immediately.
