The 2021-22 school year is quickly approaching, and you know what that means! Those of you with young adults in the house may soon be making a road trip somewhere across the nation to drop your little ones off at college.
To make your move-in a little easier, here is our Car Prep Safely Guide for any College Student, with a little Emergency Checklist we created to ensure our kids stay safe on the road!
This is the Best Car Prep for a College Student w/ Emergency Checklist and if we can help other parents…we want to!
Most college students have not been in any real emergency while driving. Unpreparedness and inexperience can easily lead to panic if one doesn’t feel that they are equipped with the right tools, information and confidence to weather the storm while waiting for help to come.
- Screwdrivers
- Wrench
- Emergency
- Flashlight
- Reflective Triangles
- Jumper Cables
- First Aid Kit
- Tire Gage
- Bungee Cords
- Gloves
- Tire Iron
- Spare Tire
- Ice Scraper
- Spare Change ~ just in case!
- When you leave for a destination, let someone know that you are on your way, whether you tell someone wherever you’re headed or someone you just left. This way, if you don’t show up at a reasonable time, people know something may be wrong and headout looking!
- Don’t panic
- Make sure you pull aside to safety, clear of any main road
- Make sure your car is turned off and your emergency brake is on
- Turn on your hazard lights
- Raise your hood! This will alert policemen or others around you that you are having car trouble
- Get your emergency triangles out and start setting them up about 20 feet behind your car if it’s safe to do so, even if you’re in broad daylight
- Again, Stay Calm. Don’t Panic
- Get back in your car. It can be very dangerous to be out of your vehicle at any time
- Lock your doors
- Call somebody if you can. Anybody. Friends, relatives, roadside assistance, etc.
- Get comfortable. Hopefully you brought some snacks or water with you
- Don’t run the radio, as it’ll run down your car’s battery
- Don’t stay on that phone too much either. You don’t want to have to conserve your battery in times of need
- Check around to see where you are. Try to find a street sign, landmark, or mile marker. If you have cellular service, use your GPS to locate yourself and alert others exactly where you are.
- Call 911 if you need emergency assistance
- Make sure you always have your vehicle’s insurance car with you
- Don’t Panic – did we already mention that?
- In the day and age of technology, help will come soon, even if it doesn’t seem like it.
- Be careful with who you let help you. Of course, there are plenty of great citizens out there, but not all have good intentions, especially if they notice that you are alone and inexperienced with this type of thing. This is where your judgement comes into play. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s not! Through a cracked window, you can tell them thank you for the offer, but you already have help on the way.