^{Posted by: ShopandTell}

For many families, the holiday season means "to grandmother's house we go."  Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday for Americans.  I am writing about safe and healthy travel as a way of reminding MYSELF to think ahead this holiday season!

I find it hard to plan ahead for a holiday road trip like I should but when I do prepare well for a trip, I can tell a big difference in our family stress level. Traveling by car is the way most Americans visit family on the holidays.

I recently spoke to Jim Wheat, who is the Chief Operating Partner of the largest Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchise in the country.  Jim has a lot of experience with car care, he's the former president of Jiffy Lube International and more important, he's a dad. Here are some tips from a professional in the car care industry who also knows what it's like to travel with kids:

Drive Safely
Jim has some good advice for making sure your car is ready for the family road trip.   He stresses prevention for holiday winter travel. "People naturally seem to get their oil changed before a long trip but it's also important to check the tires, wiper blades and engine fluids. Worn out wiper blades can be so dangerous, even in a light snow. Check the little things as well as the big things before you leave on your trip."

According to Jim, holiday travel can also mean that service stations and auto centers are closed, so checking your car for problems is even more critical.  

Here is a checklist for your car before any holiday roadtrip, per Jim Wheat:

• Tires - Inspect, balance, check inflation and rotate tires. Check inflation on the spare and make sure the jack is in place.
• Lights - Check all lights and replace burned out bulbs.
• Visibility - Replace old wiper blades and be sure your washers are working. Carry spare washer solvent in your vehicle.

Emergency Kit
Based on his years of experience in the car care industry as well as many a family road trip, Jim recommends having an emergency kit in your car, especially for holiday travel.  "Holiday car travel can be tricky because of the weather and the cold.  But even in warmer regions, heavy traffic or car accidents due to the volume of people traveling can leave you and your family in the car for hours more than expected."  Once again, the message is BE PREPARED.

My family has an Emergency Car Kit.  It was a present from my brother-in-law last Christmas.   If you don't have an awesome brother-in-law to give you a kit, you can buy at kit at a number of different stores or purchase online.   Eddie Bauer offers a Car Emergency Kit for $59.   But Wheat says that if you don't have an emergency travel kit, you can create one yourself.

"At the minimum, just include some the very basics for safety, in case you get stuck or if you have car trouble," says Wheat.  "One thing people forget to do is to have an extra battery for your cell phone and don?t forget to have a car charger for your cell phone."  

Here are some of Jim's other basics for your car travel emergency kit:
Glove Compartment

• Flashlight in working condition
• Keep a set of extra batteries in a sealed plastic bag
• Pocket knife
• Aspirins and extra necessary medications for people in the car

Trunk

• Spare tire (check it regularly to maintain full inflation).
• Fire extinguisher-the dry chemical type. (Learn to use it!)
• First-aid kit with first-aid manual.
• A tire jack and lug wrenches for changing tires.
• Tire blocks-to prevent car from rolling down a hill or from moving when changing a tire.
• Flares or reflectors for emergency warnings to other drivers. (Read instructions on how to use them.)

For Cold Weather travel:

• Ice scraper and snow brush.   Have a spare scraper handy, they tend to break easily.
  
• Small bag of dry sand-to throw under wheels to give you better traction.
• Small metal shovel to dig out of deep snow.

For more car care tips and information, visit the websites below.
Car Care Articles on GreatLakesQuickLube.com
AAA Website-Foundation for Traffic Safety
National Motorists Association