It’s Back to School Time. Travel Safely.
It’s our Senior year of high school so there’s a good chance you have your driver’s license. And if you already have a car, Congratulations!
Before you start the daily grind of driving back and forth to school, make sure your car is in good operating condition. And to make it easy for you, I have a Checklist of 12 Back to School Travel Tips. I was going to do 13, but you are in the 12th Grade so I thought the number twelve was more appropriate.
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Battery – Make sure your battery is ready to take on the daily commute. If your car battery is more than 4 years old, it might be a good idea to get it tested. Auto parts stores such as Auto Zone will usually check your battery for free. You’ll also want to make sure your battery cables are tightly connected to the battery and that there is no battery acid corrosion. Lastly, it’s a good idea to keep a set of jumper cables or a booster pack in your trunk.
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Oil & Filter – You should be getting your oil changed every 3,000 miles driven or approximately every 3 months. And it’s a good idea to check the oil levels in your car once a week. If your oil levels are too low or you’re seeing water mixed in with your oil, it’s a sign of trouble so take it in to get checked immediately.
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Cooling System – While your under the hood checking your oil levels, it’s a good idea to check the coolant levels in your radiator. It’s definitely not a good thing when your engine overheats. Trust me. I’ve been there done that. Should your car start to overheat, you can always throw the heater on at full blast to pull some of the heat away from the engine so that you can get to the side of the road quickly.
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Belts & Hoses – Don’t forget to inspect your belts for cracks or excessive wear and tear and check your hoses for any leaks. It’s always a good idea to keep an extra belt in your trunk, just in case. And should you have a leaky hose, duct tape works great as a temporary fix. Shoot, even a sock tied around the hose will work for a few miles. Yes, I have had to use a sock to help get my car home one time.
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Spark Plugs – Yes, even spark plugs can go out on you. Also a good idea to keep an eye on the spark plug wires.
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Filters – Definitely want to check your filters and make sure they are clean. Clogged filters can affect the performance of your vehicle.
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Brakes – You could get into serious trouble should your brakes ever fail you. So pay attention to how they perform. If you start to hear a grinding noise when you apply the brakes, it’s a sure sign that your brake pads have worn down to nothing and there’s a metal clip digging ridges into your rotors. Not. Good. At. All. Another important thing to check is your brake fluid levels. And if you need to refill the container, make sure you are putting in the appropriate fluid. True story, during my Senior year, I borrowed my parents car to go to the Mall. And along the way my brakes failed. They got real spongy when I tried stopping. I called my parents from the Mall and they told me to drive it home and use my Emergency Brake if I needed to. Once I got home my step-dad checked the car and discovered that he had accidentally put transmission fluid in instead of brake fluid. Oops!
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A/C – Make sure your ride is cool and comfortable, especially here in the desert.
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Lights – Got a friend with you? If so this is a good time to check the lights and make sure everything (headlights, turn signals, brake lights, emergency lights and interior lights) is working properly. You don’t want to get pulled over on your way home from the Friday Night Football game because you have a broken light.
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Wiper Blades – Be sure to inspect your wiper blades on a regular basis for wear and tear. And a little tip, I highly recommend apply a few coats of RainX to your windshield. That stuff is amazing and makes your wiper blades work more efficiently.
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Tires – There’s just rubber between you and the road so make sure your tires are in good condition. Check your tire pressure on a regular basis to make sure it meets the requirement for your vehicle. This insures your safety while driving and helps save of the cost of gas. You also want to make sure your tires are rotated on a regular basis to insure even wearing of the tread. And don’t forget to check the depth of your threads. There’s an easy way to do this. Take a penny and put it upside down in between the grooves. If you can see the space between the top of Lincoln’s head and the edge of the penny, its time for new tires.
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Emergency Kit – You never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball so it’s a good idea to keep a roadside emergency kit and a first kit in your vehicle at all times. If your parents have a Costco Membership, they have a really good Emergency Roadside Kit. You never know when it will be needed. And not necessarily for you. Several years back as I was driving to work, I came upon an accident that had just happened. A few of us pulled over to offer assistance. One of the driver’s had split open her forehead during the collision. Fortunately for her I had my first aid kit with me in my car and another good Samaritan just happened to me a Navy Core man. Between the two of us, we were able to offer this lady assistance until the paramedics arrived.
So there you have it. Your Travel Safe Back to School Checklist. And don’t forget to have some fun at school. This is your Senior Year after all.