Traveling outside amidst a pandemic has its own dangers. It’s understandable that we want to bond and be able to embrace our family and relatives again after 2 years of being physically apart, but our safety is also a factor that we need to consider. Ultimately, the last thing we want to happen is to contract COVID-19 in such a festive season.
We understand how you feel, that’s why for your road trip we prepared helpful tips you can follow so you can enjoy the holiday season while staying safe and COVID-19 free.
Stay home if you are sick
It’s important that we prevent the spread of COVID-19. Stay home if you are feeling sick or if you’ve been around someone with COVID-19 for the last 14 days.
Safety reminders:
Minimize touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze. Wear a face mask and always clean your hands with rubbing alcohol or sanitizer.
For safety, we recommend that you be in quarantine for 2 weeks to be sure that none of you and your family are sick before you go on a road trip.
Prepare the car in advance
The last thing you want happening during your trip is dealing with a car problem. At minimum, check on your vehicle’s oil, fluids, brakes, and most especially tires.
For any road trip, this is important to be done. Here are tips of how to evaluate your tires’ health:
Tread depth
Check if the tread is worn off and ensure your tires have enough traction to grip the road. An easy way to do this is through a peso test.
Tire Pressure
Check if your tires are properly inflated, follow these steps:
- Remove the valve stem cap and press the gauge head evenly onto the valve stem.
- Use firm pressure to stop the hissing sound.
- Remove the gauge and read the pressure.
- Compare this to your vehicle’s recommended inflation pressure.
Tire Condition and Age
Inspect if your tires are up for a replacement. If you see any cuts, scrapes, punctures, bumps, or cracks, have your tires checked by a professional immediately.
Remember also to check your tire’s age. Look at the DOT stamping on the sidewall, and you’ll see a 4-digit number, the date code. The first two numbers are the week, and the last two are the year.
Plan your route
There are still places that have travel restrictions. Be sure to check beforehand to be prepared, just in case.
Complete your road trip without stopping
Making stops along the way increases your and your companions exposure and contact with other people whom you don’t know might carry the virus. Another thing is to minimize touching surfaces.
For bathroom breaks, we recommend going to safe and well-sanitized gas stations or restaurants.
Keep the windows cracked
Your car is a tight and closed space. Rolling down the windows even just a couple inches increases air flow and dilutes the virus.
AC is an option, but it’s better to have fresh outside air once in a while.
Carefully plan where to eat
Eating outside at this time of the pandemic is a risk. Make sure to plan ahead on the restaurants where you’ll dine and check how they are following safety protocols.
Make sure the restaurant has good ventilation as you and your companions will not be eating with your mask on.
Drive-through and eating food in your car is a safe alternative, but it can be uncomfortable when the car is packed.