Travel goes hand-in-hand with the holidays just as much as family, friends and food do. Whether you’re simply heading across town for a festive dinner, or embarking on a much longer road trip to visit those you cherish, your Chevy is ready to get you there as safely and comfortably as possible. But in order for it to do that, you need to make sure it’s prepared — and follow a few other tips we’ve put together for Chevy owners before you tackle your holiday traveling this year.
Pre-Trip Chevy Vehicle Preparations
One of the most important things you can do before hitting the road is schedule a multi-point inspection. While you might be able to check the sticker to ensure you don’t need an oil change, or eyeball the tread depth on your tires, the best way to make sure your vehicle is truly ready for the holiday trek is to let the experts check everything. Bring it here to Jim Glover Chevrolet and we’ll inspect the brakes, tires, battery, fluid levels and so much more to give you our seal of approval before you disembark.
Speaking of tread depth, that’s definitely something you should pay special attention to. If for whatever reason you decide not to get a multi-point inspection, you should at the very least inspect your tire tread depth to make sure it’s in a good spot. Without proper tread depth, driving through winter conditions will become incredibly unsafe. Likewise, you should stay on top of your tire pressure as well, checking it regularly throughout the winter as the cold air can cause your pressure to drop.
Lastly, you should also make sure your fluids are topped off, particularly washer fluid and antifreeze. Consider swapping from regular windshield washer fluid to one with a de-icing element in it to help on those frosty mornings.
Pack Safety & Comfort Essentials
In addition to preparing the vehicle itself, you should prepare to bring some essentials along to help ensure the safety and comfort of you and whoever you’re bringing along, be it family or friends. Start with an emergency kit, which you can often find pre-packaged. If you’re building your own, include jumper cables, a flashlight, blankets, bottled water and maybe some non-perishable snacks. Don’t forget the ice scraper, and consider a small shovel just in case you get stuck in the snow.
Depending on how long your trip is, you’re going to want to bring certain items to keep everyone entertained and comfortable. Extra blankets and pillows go a long way for passengers, while headphones or earbuds can enable everyone else to listen to something they want if they don’t like what’s helping you stay attentive and awake.
Don’t forget to pack whatever everyone is bringing along as intelligently as possible, either. If you’ve got several suitcases, backpacks and so on you want to make sure to optimize the generous cargo space your Chevy vehicle provides. Keep heavier items as low and centered as possible in the cargo space to maintain smooth handling, and secure any roof rack items as tightly as you can to avoid shifting on the go.
Additional Tips from Jim Glover Chevrolet
While preparing your vehicle and packing intelligently go a long way towards ensuring safety and comfort on your holiday travels, there are some additional tips you can follow as well:
- Plan your route ahead of time to take holiday traffic into account.
- Leave earlier than normal to avoid peak congestion in high-traffic areas.
- Practice defensive driving to keep everyone safe!
- Stay alert, keep a safe following distance, use your turn signals, avoid distractions.
- If your trip is particularly long, be sure to take breaks to avoid fatigue and let everyone recharge.
- Utilize warm, cozy features like heated seating and the remote start system to combat the cold.
Have any solid holiday travel tips that we missed? Be sure to let us know. And feel free to get in touch with us if you have any questions about your Chevy vehicle before planning your trip this year!