In our house the main driver is Daddy. I've never really enjoyed driving and as he does enjoy driving I let him do it for the most part. When I joined in the with Sainsbury's Bank Family Blogger Network they sent me a blog post over to see if I would consider putting it up as a guest post from them. Reading through it, it did feel a little sexist (I'm sure that not all women don't know how to fix their own car or don't have anti freeze in the car) but the point is that for me this was a good checklist of things to make sure our car has on top of the essential things for a Family Day Out and I think that other families might appreciate the post too. Let me know in the comments if there is anything else I should add to my check list of things to make sure that every journey in the car is a safe one.
The Cornerstones of Car Safety - for women who love to drive
Your car can feel like the safest place in the world; your little haven. It’s the perfect temperature, the seat is comfy and it’s blissfully full of your favourite music and snacks. It can be so comfortable that some of the best ‘you time’ happens when you’re en-route to yet another hectic appointment.
There’s no secret that we take our cars and safety for granted, so just to shake things up a bit this article takes a look at the other side of the coin. Below you’ll find a list of the cornerstones of car safety - a few considerations for when your motoring experience goes less than smoothly!
Roadside Coverage
Accidents and breakdowns are every girl’s worst nightmare. Your beloved little motor packs up for no apparent reason. You open the bonnet and it looks exactly the same as it did when the car worked perfectly. Great.
The best way to get back in action is to have good car insurance and roadside assistance. One quick phone call and then sit tight and listen to some tunes. Which brings us on to our next cornerstone of safety...
Mobile Phones
Every girl’s best friend. These little bundles of joy will get you out of most pickles. However, driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand on your mobile is illegal. So it’s worthwhile getting a blue-tooth headset or car kit to help you stay safe.
A great tip is that your mobile can improve your safety even if it’s not on! If you’re worried about unwanted attention when you’re broken down, or walking back to your car at night, pretending to be on the phone is a great way of ‘not being alone’. However, leaving your phone on the dashboard is also a great way of getting your windscreen broken, so use your glove box!
Keyring Gadgets
The keyring is the girl’s Swiss army knife. You can get miniature versions of every gadget you’d ever want to improve your car safety. Whether it’s a flotation device to stop the keys sinking in water or a personal alarm. Your keyring is your one-stop safety shop.
Torch
A torch is one of the best safety devices of all time. There’s nothing more terrifying than the dark, especially on an isolated country lane, with a flat car battery. And owls. A sobering thought indeed, but a torch stashed in the glove box can solve all your woes at the click of a button.
Modern LED torches have massive battery life compared to the old filament bulb torches, and unless you’re a regular moonlight rambler, it’s unlikely to go flat. Check for a model with a long ‘burn time’ if you’re still worried.
Anti-Ice Kit Beat the freeze!
De-icer, a scraper and some salt for the drive are the safest way to start a winter journey. Trying to drive to work when you can only peer through the bottom of your slowly de-icing windscreen is a guaranteed shortcut to an accident. When you’re running late, the temptation is there to rush things, but some de-icer and a scraper will speed you along in no time. It will also prevent you destroying your bank card and getting frostbite trying to scrape ice away.
With these points in mind, you should feel a far safer motorist. Even if you have never had trouble on the road, it’s nice to have something to fall back on. The ‘fingers crossed’ approach can only work for so long!
Finally, a decent car insurance policy is essential if you want to be safe on the roads. Whatever happens to your car, you know that you should be covered for all eventualities. Many insurance companies offer roadside recovery as an addition, so select a policy that can really help to keep you safe.
