As Texans take off across our roadways over the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would like to pass along a few helpful tips to ensure safe travels. Prevention and planning are much easier than dealing with the consequences of a breakdown or, worse yet, a highway crash.

Review a Vehicle Safety Checklist

Regular maintenance such as tune-ups, oil changes, battery checks, and tire rotations go a long way toward preventing breakdowns before they happen.

• Check tires for proper air pressure, tread wear and a spare.
• Check wiper blades, the cooling system (for needed servicing and coolant level), fluid levels, lights, and the air-conditioning system.

Protect the Children

If you’re traveling with children, find out how to best keep them safe.

• Make sure car seats and booster seats are properly installed and that any children riding with you are in the restraint system best suited to protect them.
• All children 12 and younger should ride in the back seat. Never leave children alone in a vehicle during the summer.

On the Road

Getting there is half the fun of a road trip vacation. It’s also half the hassle. Plenty of distractions both inside and outside your vehicle can take your attention from the road.

• The focus of any driver, at all times, should be driving. Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some form of driver distraction.
• Everybody aboard must agree to wear their seat belts every time they are riding or driving in your vehicle.
• Be responsible and don’t drink and drive.

Emergency Roadside Kit

Even a well-maintained vehicle can break down, so it’s advisable to put together an emergency roadside kit to carry with you. Suggested emergency roadside kit contents include:

• a cell phone;
• a first aid kit;
• a flashlight;
• flares and a white flag;
• jumper cables;
• a jack (and a ground mat) for changing a tire;
• work gloves and a change of clothes;
• basic repair tools and some duct tape (for temporarily repairing a hose leak);
• a jug of water and paper towels for cleaning up;
• nonperishable food, drinking water and medicines;
• extra windshield washer fluid; and
• maps.

For additional information, please visit the NHTSA website at http://stnw.nhtsa.gov/links/SummerDrivingTips/.