Family Road Trip Safety Tips + Fuel Saving Tips

Taking a road trip is always a fun time for my entire family, especially for the kids who look forward to taking such trips.

We've taken the kids to several road trips already - to Pampanga for a food trip, Anvaya Cove in Bataan, to Baguio, to Acuatico in Laiya, Batangas, to Tagaytay, to Villa Escudero in Laguna, and a lot more that are not documented in the blog.   It is important that we ensure safety first so that no one will miss out on the fun. Just recently,

1. Go for a tune-up.
Make sure your car is in good working order and have your tires, battery, motor fluids, and everything else checked by a professional. Nothing ruins a trip's happy vibe more than a stalled car.

2. Get a good night's sleep.
You have your entire family in the car with you; their safety is in your hands. Enough said.

3. Pack for the trip.
Have each of your child pack items to keep them entertained for the long car ride. My kids are old enough already to take long car rides, but they still need some items to make the trip enjoyable: Oreos, sunnies, magazines, playlist of their favorite songs and earphones, of course!  We do not want arguing over which song to listen to.

4. Study the route.
Print out your map or look it up in Waze. Waze is such a big help to me for city driving. Whenever I have to go somewhere, I most often check Waze first for what route to take.  So far, it hasn't disappoint yet.  C also used it for the time he took the kids to go camping with him.

5. Assign seats.
You know your kids better than anyone, and you know who are likely to get on each other’s nerves one hour into the drive so do your best to avoid that by sitting them apart. Yes, sit them apart, even if they seem to get along well during the early part of the trip.  Magkakainisan din eventually.

6. Be firm about seatbelts.
I constantly remind everyone to buckle up before we go. Seat belts will only work if they are worn properly. I’ve been involved in two road accidents already, and have a first-hand experience on why seatbelts are the first thing we should put on before we leave our driveway.

At some point in my the past, I had a booster seat and 2 car seats strapped permanently in our van. I am so grateful those days are over! But for those of you still with car seats, do check that your car seats are securely strapped before your trip.

7. Bring snacks to eat in the car.
My kids love to eat! For them, there’s nothing better than enjoying their favorite snacks while on a road trip.

During our recent Tagaytay trip, my mommy friends and I all met up at Shell along SLEX to fuel up and also to get our OREO snacks.

8. Take short breaks.
We usually stop to take breaks at gasoline stations.  We use this time to refill on fuel, take bathroom breaks and let the kids eat at the resto of their choice.

My husband is quite the nitpick when it comes to the fuel for our cars, he insists that we only use Shell Nitro+ because it turns out to be more cost-efficient in the long run. 

Breaks are also a good excuse to get down from the car to stretch those arms and legs... and chikka with friends! Thanks for the photo, Mish!

When we go out of town, it is usually C or the driver who takes care of navigation so I never had to worry about it. But during our recent Tagaytay outing with my mommy blogger friends, it was just me and the girls. Even if I've been to Tagaytay several times in the past, I wasn't that confident that I could make it there on my own. So I asked to convoy with my friend Didi of The Candishhh Tales.  Lucky for me, Didi also took care of printing out a map for me.

For a tsuper-mom like myself, being part of a car convoy during a road trip is safer as there is someone to look-out for me.  Big thanks Didi! I do not really notice design features of cars, but for the first time in my life I cannot tell you how comforting it was for me to see the daytime rear lights on Didi's Audi as I trailed behind it.  I did not have to look hard for it as we navigated the highway. 

Thanks to Shell for the full-tank of Shell Nitro+ Racing.  After going to Tagaytay and then driving back home the next day, I only used up about 1/8 of the fuel.

I loaded up on Shell Nitro+ Racing, and I guess my husband was right all along, it is more expensive but it really is more cost-efficient.  For fuel-efficient driving, get some good tips from Shell Fuel Saving Tips.

Till the next road trip!

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