AAA offers safe summer travel tips

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — When traveling during summer, heat can make a difference in your car's performance, especially gas mileage. There are some tips that AAA New Mexico offers to help make summer travels safer.

If traveling with a spouse and children, there will be lots of decisions to make.

There three simple steps to making your travels safer and worry-free as possible, said Jeannie Chavez, spokeswoman for AAA.

First, make a vehicle safety checklist. Check your belts, hoses, tires and all, the fluids in your vehicle before you go.

Second, safety is all-important, according to AAA recommendations, Chavez said.

• Never leave your children alone in parked vehicles, especially during the heat of the day, when heat inside a vehicle can soar if windows are not down.
• Child safety seats are a must. Make room in your back seat for the safety seats that are appropriate for your child's age, height and weight. Improper fitting seats can cause damage in case of an accident. Guidelines for proper safety seats may be found at a Website: www.boosterseat.gov.
• Emergency kits are also a must. Even vehicles that have been checked and are deemed safe and ready to travel can break down, AAA said.
• A cellular telephone is a must, Make sure you have a charging kit that fits into the vehicle's cigarette lighter to keep it charged during your trip.

Emergency kit items
AAA recommends the following items to be placed in an emergency kit when traveling:

• First Aid kit
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Flares and a white flag for indicating distress
• Jumper cables
• A car jack and a ground mat for changing tires
• Work gloves and changes of clothing
• Basic repair tools, including duct tape which would help temporarily repair a leaking hose
• Extra water and paper towels for cleaning
• Non-perishable food, extra drinking water and each person's physician prescribed medicines
• Extra windshield wiper fluid
• Maps

Plenty of rest
The third step in preparing for summer travel includes getting plenty of rest before starting the trip.

• Starting a trip when tired and sleepy can lead to disaster.
• Schedule your trip so you can take frequent breaks including for meals and drink breaks.
• Stop at rest stops, stretch your legs, walk a little
• Don't try to make it to a destination that is several hundred miles away in one long driving stretch. Stay a night at a motel and again, get plenty of rest before continuing the trip.
• Bring favorites books, games or toys to keep children entertained.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.