The open road can be a pretty harrowing place to be. Although you might consider yourself a very good and very safe driver, you have little control over what the millions of other drivers on the road will do behind the wheel. You can only control so much in terms of keeping your family safe, so it makes sense to focus on the things you can.
Keeping your car in optimal working condition and paying close attention to scheduled maintenance is a very important component in keeping your family safe on the road. You can read about preventative maintenance suggested for your vehicle at Cars.com. You should also pay close attention to the state of your tires and brakes. Tires with little tread left are an exceptionally dangerous condition. Underinflated tires too will prevent you from having the optimal traction when operating your vehicle. Your car’s owner’s manual should spell out the precise tire pressure for your car, and air machine’s at most gas stations have a air pressure measuring device built in. Your brakes could save your life too and you want to be sure they are always in good condition should a situation arise in which you are forced to slam on your brakes or stop quickly. If you ever hear any squeaking or metal noises coming from your brakes, get to your auto shop quickly. This could be a signal of wear and the sooner you take care of it the better.
It’s also important to make sure car seats are properly installed if you have children that age. It’s recommended that children ride in some type of car seat up until the age of four and in a booster seat until they weigh at least 80 pounds. The reason for this guidance is that children’s bodies are too small to be protected by safety mechanisms in a car like seat belts and air bags. You can read about properly installing your car seat here: https://www.cars.com/articles/2013/09/how-carscom-conducts-car-seat-checks/. Keeping your children properly restrained and in the back seat of your vehicle until age 13 is one of the most important things you can do to keep them safe on the road.