Prepare Your Family for Traveling Safe in Summer

Summertime is the time to have fun, spend time with family and enjoy the warmer weather. Also, we can’t forget about our furry friends too.

We as parents have busy schedules with work and social obligations including our children’s extracurricular activities. It’s no wonder that we can be a bit more tired and forgetful during our morning routines. It’s important to maintain the same routine to ensure that nothing is left behind. Planning ahead is also vital if there is a change in routines or for a family getaway.

Balancing work, social commitments, and our children’s activities can lead to tiredness and lapses in our routines. Maintaining consistency in our morning rituals is essential to ensure that nothing is overlooked. Furthermore, effective preparation becomes paramount when there’s a shift in our daily patterns or a family vacation is on the horizon.

Helpful Tips:

• Place important items in the backseat.

• Run the A/C or have the window completely down.

• Park in shaded areas or use side window shade visors.

• Teach children that the vehicle is not a play area and to stay out if it is unlocked.

• Whenever feasible, it’s best for our furry companions to stay home.

Special Consideration for Animals:

• If you’re traveling with your furry friend in tow, ask your vet ahead of time how to recognize signs of heat stress.

• Make sure your pets have unlimited access to fresh water and shade even when outside.

Summer Traveling

Heat Safety Facts:

954 children have died due to pediatric vehicular heatstroke (PVH) since 1998. Yet, all these deaths could have been prevented. Sadly, these are the statistics as of July 19, 2023 (noheatstroke.org)

• Make frequent stops to allow the animals to use the bathroom, stretch their legs and get some stimulation from sniffing around and checking things out.

• Never leave a pet in the car, even in the shade or with windows cracked. As the summer unfolds, taking these measures will not only safeguard the well-being of your family.

An independent study showed that the interior temperature of vehicles parked in outside temperatures ranging from 72 to 96°F rose steadily as time increased. And cracking the window made no difference in the interior temperature.

Every year, hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion because they are left in parked vehicles. (AVA) From National Safety Council (NSC), U.S. Department of Transportation