When the time finally comes to hit the road for your summer vacation, it goes without saying that you’ll be looking forward to every last minute of your trip.

While driving on vacation is something many people enjoy, you must always keep one thing in mind: your safety and well being.

Here are several road trip safety tips to follow this summer:

• Make sure your car is ready for the road. This means many things, such as inflating the tires to the correct PSI and inspecting your windshield wipers.
• Get plenty of rest. You should never drive drowsy. If your eyes begin to get heavy when you’re behind the wheel, it’s time to pull to the side of the road.
• Keep your cellphone out of reach. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is using your cell phone when driving. From texting to speaking with others, this is a distraction that can cause you a lot of trouble on the road. You don’t want to leave your cell phone at home. You simply want to leave it out of reach.
• Focus on your posture. It’s important to keep good posture when driving, as this allows you to stay alert and avoid unnecessary back pain and discomfort.
• Use your headlights when necessary. If the rain begins to fall or the nighttime hours close in, you should immediately turn on your headlights. This makes it easier to see the road ahead. It also allows other drivers to see your vehicle.

These are not the only road trip safety tips to follow, but they are definitely among the most important. When you do these things, you’ll feel better about your ability to reach your destination without incident.

If another driver makes a mistake, such as texting and driving, this person could cause an accident. In this case, you should move your car to safety and conduct an immediate health check on yourself and your passengers.

Don’t hesitate to call 911 to ensure that police and an ambulance arrive at the scene. Once you’re on the road to recovery, you can then learn more about your legal rights for receiving compensation.