Are We There Yet? 3 Tips For Safe & Enjoyable Holiday Travels

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us are planning to travel to see family and a great majority will travel by car. Before the holidays get busy and hectic, it’s important to take a moment and prepare your vehicle for the journey ahead. How you prepare for the holiday travel may be the difference between a relaxed, enjoyable ride and a frustrating time spent on the side of the road waiting for roadside assistance. We sure hope you don’t get stuck and so we’ve put together some tips to make life a little easier this holiday.

Plan ahead

The best thing you can do for yourself and to an extent your family is to plan ahead. Things seem to slow down during the holidays. Some stores tend to close earlier while others close all together. By planning ahead you avoid the rush that causes stress and frustrations. This is the time to schedule your car maintenance and checks and handle any major repairs that you have put off for awhile. If you tires that need replacing or the “Check Engine Light” has been on for awhile then this is a good time to address that. Many auto repair shops get swamped during this season but there are only so many they can handle so you definitely want to schedule your maintenance checks ahead of time before they close.

Find reputable auto repair shop

You want to find a reputable, certified auto repair shop in your area to do your maintenance and tuneups. Unlike other times of the year, you can’t chances during holidays because a major miscalculation in repair fixes can derail your plans of visiting family. Go to a reputable auto repair shop that is certified to work on your can because you’re assured of better and reliable service. We have an article dedicated to finding an auto repair shop which you can checkout here: How Do I Choose An Auto Repair Shop?

There’s no standard list of maintenance items to check for but here at Davis Paint & Collision Auto Center we recommend checking this list when you go talk to your mechanic:

• Brakes because of the weather conditions and the fact that you’ll be starting and stopping a lot,
• Tires are next on the list. Given the Winter season in most parts of the country having good tires with optimal pressure is important,
• Fluids need to be topped up or replaced. Fluids make up the lifeblood of your car and affect the workings of various major systems,
• Car lights need to be checked as well to make sure that they’re all in good working conditions.

Things to have in your car

Lastly, you need to have a few things in your car in case of emergencies. While holidays are times of merriment sometimes things don’t go as we planned. In case of emergencies, it’ll help to have these items in your car:

• Extra blankets to provide warmth in case your car breaks or your heating goes out and you need to stay warm,
• First aid kit will help address minor injuries and pains,
• Flashlights, 1 or 2 preferably water-proof with extra batteries,
• Jumper cables. If your car won’t start and someone is willing to jump start your car you better have some jumper cables,
• Pet food if you’re travelling with pets. You may be able to resist hunger but your pet might not be able to.

Let’s tuneup your car

Like we mentioned above, we take care of auto repair maintenance and tuneups and have been doing that since 1990! We hold a  number of certifications in the automotive industry that helps us stay current with the latest technologies to serve you well. Give us a call today. Our Oklahoma City location phone number is (405) 733-9797 and our Midwest City location phone number is (405) 732-0762.

Happy holidays!