The time for a road trip has finally come. Having finally packed the last piece of luggage, you get into your car, start the engine, and drive off into the distance. But, have you checked your vehicle and tires? Because if you didn’t, you’re probably in for a rough ride.
Without proper inspection of your tires, there are so many things that can go wrong. You could end up with a weaker grip, less responsive handling, and a blowout. All of these can result in you being stranded on the side of a road, ending in a ditch, or in the most serious cases, being a participant in a life-endangering accident.
So, in order to avoid these bleak futures and situations, let’s take a look at what you can do to avoid some common road trip mistakes and ensure a safe and sound road trip.
Why Tire Pressure Matters for Long Trips
Air is typically found in tires, exerting pressure on them from the inside. This works with the particular construction to preserve their best shape at all times. This means the tires can function properly since they’ll maintain constant connection with the road, becoming more responsive to the driver’s steering orders and longer-lasting as well.
When tire pressure drops, tires become under-inflated, but if it increases too much, tires are then overinflated. Both of these cases negatively impact your tires and your driving experience, either resulting in uneven wear, which lowers the lifespan of your tires, or a blowout, which causes you to lose control over your vehicle. Nobody wants these problems on the road, especially if you want your trip to be full of fun and excitement.
Essential Pre-Trip Tire Pressure Check
As we’ve just established, having improperly inflated tires is bad in general — particularly if you’re going on a road trip far from your home. So, what’s the solution to this predicament?
The best practice is to inspect the pressure of your tires in advance before you start the road trip. This gives you a chance to inflate them to the proper levels or even fix them if some of the tires are punctured and are leaking air. In the case that tires are beyond saving, you’ll have enough time to replace them.
Before doing anything, check the recommended tire pressure on a sticker on the driver-side door jamb of your vehicle. With this information, you can find out the fitting air pressure levels for your tires, preventing the above-mentioned risks and some others. After all, improper inflated tires also decrease fuel efficiency, taxing your wallet without a good reason. And in this age and economy, who has money to waste?
Photo by Li Yang on Unsplash
Relying Only on Gas Station Pumps
Another pitfall many people fall for during their road trip is the complete reliance on gas station pumps to fuel their vehicles. Gas station pumps are necessary and precious to all drivers, whether its fuel for the car or our own bodies from the convenience stores that generally come with
However, sometimes they are few and far between in certain areas, making them, in these occasions, a very unreliable source of fuel for your vehicle. No one can plan what can happen on the road. If you rely on the gas pump alone, you might run into unexpected closures and fuel shortages. Since you’re on a road trip, maybe you’ll take a detour for sightseeing, get stuck in a traffic jam, or you didn’t accurately plan the route to your destination, which will increase fuel consumption and potentially leave you without any fuel.
This hurdle can be avoided in a number of ways. Get familiar with your vehicle and know how much it can travel on a full tank, while keeping your tires properly inflated to improve their fuel efficiency. Next, plan your routes with stops in mind and fill up the tank before it gets too low, in order to minimize your dependency on gas station pumps. Last but not least, carry extra fuel containers with you in case you are low on gas so you can fill up the tank at any point.
At the same time, knowing how you can conserve gas on summer road trips is always beneficial. Being better at managing your fuel is economical for you. And let’s be real, who doesn’t like to save a buck or two if given the chance.
Not Adjusting for Extra Weight
Some of us love to pack everything we can for a trip, as if we’re going to live there forever. But this isn’t a good idea. Sure, tires are designed to handle huge amounts of weight, as they can easily withstand your vehicle and all machinery inside it. But, what happens when you overburden your vehicle?
For one, the machinery inside can get damaged, resulting in failure of some of the crucial systems that ensure the proper functioning of your vehicle. Your tires can also fail, preventing you from reaching your destination. In either case, you’ll be stranded on the road and be on a call to get the tow truck to pick you up, unless some more severe disaster happens.
Whether you have the best budget all season tires or the expensive premium models on your vehicle, it doesn’t matter. It’s in your best interest to pay attention to how much luggage you’re carrying with you. Check the sticker on the driver’s door jamb to see how much your vehicle can safely carry, but also look on the tires’ sidewall for the load rating. This is one of those times when the less is more, so carry only the essentials you need and not all you want.
Skipping Mid-Trip Checks
After a detailed inspection, your vehicle is finally ready for the trip. You’ve checked your tires and their pressure levels, you’ve got enough fuel with extra spare, and your vehicle is burdened within the limits. Now, nothing can go wrong and you’re ready to depart to your destination, right? Well, let’s hold our horses.
It’s great that pre-trip planning and checkups are done, but you shouldn’t forget to monitor your vehicle and tires during the trip. Mid-trip checks are crucial because you can spot a potentially great problem and act preemptively, preventing it from spiraling into a larger issue that can abort and ruin the trip you’ve looked forward to. This can range from checking tire pressure to observing how your vehicle behaves during the drive. In short, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Car and Tire Checks: A Road Trip Must
Planning your trip and making all the necessary preparations and checkups can be time consuming, but all of that is necessary to ensure a safe and sound road trip. Being aware of what can go wrong ensures you’re ready to tackle the issue at the moment of its inception, resulting in a worry-free journey when you get to the destination. For this reason, take your time to check and double-check your vehicle and tires, because in the end, life doesn’t have a price.
