Family road trips are always good fun. My husband and I love taking our kids on trips around the country. Long journeys are nothing as long as you have the right tools for the job. I am of course talking about movies for the kids to watch and plenty of snacks. Though, you might want to cut back on levels of sugar unless you want the children bouncing up and down in the back. Aside from pushing the kid’s sugar levels to the limit there a few other mistakes you want to avoid on your next family road trip.

Forgetting To Fill Up The Car

It may sound like a simple piece of advice but do make sure you check the fuel gauge before you head off on a long road trip. You probably won’t run out of fuel before you check it, but you might end up having to stop off at one of the main gas stations on the highway. These are often considerably more expensive. As such, it’s best to avoid them and top up the fuel somewhere near where you live instead.

A Glass Of Wine Before Bed

Do you know how long alcohol stays in your system after you drink? It takes just about five and a half hours, so if you have a late night and you wake up early for your road trip, you could definitely be taking a risk. Lawyers for DWI charges say that many of their clients had a couple too many drinks before bed and were pulled over driving intoxicated the next morning. You probably won’t be that far over the limit, but it will definitely put a dampener on your family plans.

No Spare

Here’s a fun fact for you. Only one-third of new cars come with a spare tyre. So, if you have recently bought your car and you haven’t checked, there’s every chance it doesn’t have one. Of course, there’s always the chance that you’ve already used it and forgotten to replace it. You don’t want to remember that just as you hear something go clunk underneath the car on the road.

No Way To See The Kids

While having a back facing seat for the little ones is safer, it can be annoying for parents who can’t check on their kids without stopping. We’ve mentioned this before and what you need is something like the Googah View Mirror. You can read my thoughts on this on another post.

Sun Shade

Definitely, make sure that you have sun shades for your car. If you don’t, you might be exposing your kids to harmful UV light. You may also find that your kids get hot and restless all too quickly with the sun heating up the seats and the inside of the doors. That can make a pleasant car journey quickly feel like an absolute nightmare.

I hope you take my advice and avoid these troubles next time you take a fun family road trip together.

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