The school holidays have just begun, and there is plenty that you have planned in store for your children and yourself.
In amongst all the excitement, take time to ensure you are safe on the roads. Below, we share with you some safety practices that you should look out for in Australia.
Table of Contents
Get Your Car Serviced
Several things are just not fun when you are travelling for the holidays, crying kids, traffic jams, and broken-down cars. While it can be hard to avoid the first two, you can take precautionary measures to prevent your car from breaking down on the highway.
Get your car serviced and check your vehicle’s overall condition at least a week before your trip. You will need to check your tyre’s air pressure, battery, brakes and lights, among others.
Check your vehicle in advance so that you will have the time to get any problems fixed before you head off for your trip.
Children’s Car Seats
It may be advisable to give your car seats a clean and thorough check over before your departure. Once ready to put them back in the car, ensure that you have adequately installed your baby car seat.
Ensure your child is comfortable before leaving. Check none of the straps is twisted, and the child is securely fastened and ready for the journey.
Don’t Drive When You’re Tired
If on a long drive, and you find yourself starting to feel tired, drive to your nearest rest stop and take a break.
You can take a short nap to recharge before you continue on your journey. Having a 30-minute delay on your trip is always better than straining yourself when you are already tired.
It is harder to stay alert and careful when you are driving while fatigued.
Check the Weather & Road Conditions
You will want to be prepared for any conditions that can lengthen your travel time. You also would not want to start heading towards your destination if the weather forecast shows a massive storm coming your way soon.
Some websites will also inform you about the road conditions around your travel destination. Knowing these details ahead of time can help you to avoid some dangerous driving conditions.
Keep the Kids Busy
The last thing that you want is for your kids to be up to their antics while you are driving. Keep your kids busy, whether it is reading, watching movies, or better yet, taking a nap.
Occupied kids are less likely to distract you when you drive, which keeps you focused on the road.
Plan and schedule regular stops along the way so that your children and you can have some much-needed stretches and toilet breaks.
Make Safe Photo Stops
Take vacation photos safely. It’s Australia – there will be plenty of beautiful landscapes where you can take a quick break for a photo.
However, you should remember to check if it is safe to stop at your selected location.
If the surrounding area is suitable for you to stop, do so at a safe pace, giving other drivers plenty of notice that you are pulling over.
Look Out for Animals
If you are not Australian, many road signs might confuse you. You are going to find several road signs showing animal figures, especially if you are visiting some of the more remote or rural areas around the country.
Animals often wander along the roads, more prevalently during sunrise, sunset and at night.
These wandering animals are also the reasons why you should minimize your solo driving time around these hours in Australia. Having passengers to help you spot these animals along the way would help.
In the interest of everyone’s safety, it is best to be off the road before nightfall.
Image Pixabay License CCO
