Preparing for a Road Trip


Vacation Checklist
Nobody wants a road trip spoiled by car trouble! Just a little pre-trip planning goes a long way toward ensuring a fun and safe trip for the entire family.
Before you head out, head to an Independent Service Centre (click here) near you that sells quality ACDelco parts.

Before leaving on a road trip, be sure to:
  • Take your vehicle to an Independent Service Centre (click here) near you that sells quality ACDelco parts to check your belts, hoses, brakes, lights, windshield washer fluid, wiper blades, engine oil and coolant.
  • Always keep at least half a tank of gas in your vehicle.
  • Make sure your trunk has a jack, lug wrench and other tools you'll need to change a tire.
  • Check tire pressure of all tires, including the spare.
  • Make sure you have a working flashlight with extra batteries, emergency reflectors, sunglasses and a first aid-kit.
  • Take your driver's license, vehicle registration and auto and medical insurance cards.
  • Carry a spare set of vehicle keys.
  • Plan your route and leave a copy of your itinerary with a relative or neighbour.
  • Bring any special medications and prescription information.
  • Take your doctor's phone number.
  • Take your eyeglass prescription.
  • Bring a cellular phone or a sign that tells passersby to “Call Police” in case of trouble.
  • Have any repairs or vehicle maintenance performed before the trip—see your vehicle's owner's manual for vehicle maintenance schedules.
 
If you Become Stranded:
  • Call for roadside assistance.
  • Stay in your vehicle. That's where you're the safest. Motorists can be injured if they exit their vehicles on busy roads. Emergency crews can find your vehicle a lot easier than they can find you alone. If the temperature is below freezing, you can avoid frostbite and hypothermia by staying in the vehicle and out of the snow and wind.
  • Tie a brightly coloured cloth to the exterior of the vehicle.
  • Keep the doors locked. If strangers approach, roll the window down just enough to ask them to get help.