Travel Safety Tips

Your Ultimate Guide to Road Trip Safety

Your Ultimate Guide to Road Trip Safety

Exploring locally before you travel farther from home is a great way to get reacquainted with travel. That means it’s the perfect time to take a road trip. The team at VisitorsCoverage put together your ultimate road trip guide complete with trip prep tips, travel safety tips, and of course, trip insurance coverage options.  

Planning Your Road Trip

When you sit down to plan your road trip, there are some things you need to keep in mind. Our new normal for travel requires more meticulous planning than you might be used to. Here are some key steps to take before you set out on what should be a trip of a lifetime. 

  • Get your vehicle checked. If you’re not renting a car, you’ll want to make sure your car is in tiptop shape. Take your car to your preferred automobile care center for routine maintenance. You don’t want to risk engine failure on the highway. If you’re renting a vehicle don’t just rely on the basic insurance the rental agency gives you. For more comprehensive coverage purchase rental car collision insurance.
  • Make sure your travel docs are updated. If you’re staying within the United States, there’s no need to carry a passport but you should make sure your drivers license, registration, proof of car insurance, and plate tags are all up to date.
  • Be prepared for the worst. Check in with your healthcare provider (especially if you are traveling with seniors) prior to the trip, knowing where the best urgent care centers are along your route and having an organized safety kit of bandages and medicines in your vehicle. If you’re traveling more than 90 miles away from your home, trip insurance is your best defense against the unexpected. While your domestic health insurance should cover any medical care you may need, trip insurance can cover any prepaid travel expenses like hotel and rental deposits should you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason. Better yet, trip insurance with a Cancel For Any Reason benefit allows you to recoup prepaid expenses for any reason, even if it’s not explicitly stated as a covered reason in your policy documents.  
  • Pack healthy road snacks. Get foods like trail mix and dried fruit, that won’t need a cooler to last the entirety of your trip. Be sure you have plenty of bottled water. 

At VisitorsCoverage, you can shop for various types of trip and travel insurance policies. The extent of coverage and benefits vary from plan to plan. For example, some plans offer car rental collision coverage but some don’t. Many plans can be customized to better suit your needs. If you need help deciding which trip insurance plan is right for you, our award-winning Customer Success Team is happy to help. 

Road trips are a great way to travel with friends and family, experience more scenery, and save money. However, factors such as roadside food options, traffic, and faulty road map phone applications can put a hamper on an otherwise fun and exciting journey, so preparation is key.

Remembering simple items like physical paper maps, healthy snacks for the road and comfortable driving clothing can make long road trips a significantly better experience. Additionally, regular stretching and exercise and eating well can also enhance the drive. Always remember to keep in mind important driving safety rules like no texting and keeping sufficient toll change handy, so you can stay safe and focus on the road.

How Trip Insurance Can Take Your Road Trip to the Next Level

If your wanderlust takes you more than 90 miles from your home, there’s one thing no road warrior should be without: trip insurance. Take a look at all the ways road trip insurance can create a road trip to remember. 

Driveway-to-Driveway Coverage

As long as your trip is greater than 90 miles, some trip insurance plans will offer driveway-to-driveway coverage. This means that your coverage begins the second you leave your driveway and lasts until your return. 

Road Trip Delays

If your road trip leads you to a prepaid non refundable vacation spot like Disney World or a resort, trip insurance can protect your financial investment if you encounter road closures or detours, traffic accidents or other situations that might delay your trip plans. If you miss your check in by a day or two, or have to cancel it altogether, with trip insurance, you’ll be able to recoup related expenses.   

Treacherous Roadways

If your vacation home rental or lodging accommodations are off the beaten path, the roads might be a bit treacherous and more susceptible to weather erosion. Some trip insurance plans may offer coverage associated with car damage or any road assistance needed to navigate these areas. 

Rental Car Insurance

If you decide to rent a car for your road trip, trip insurance can give you more protection than the insurance offered by most car rental agencies. For as little as $100, trip insurance can cover you if your rental car is damaged during your trip. Some plans will even cover you if your rental car is stolen while on your trip. For more information on rental car insurance check out this blog. 

Hotels and Vacation Rentals

If your road adventure lasts longer than a day, you might plan on stopping along the way. Whether you’re staying at a hotel or planning on booking a vacation rental, trip insurance can help defray associated costs. If, for example, you need to cancel your trip, your coverage may reimburse you for prepaid expenses like room deposits. One of the extra perks that comes with some trip insurance plans is Concierge service. If you want to add a little luxury to your road trip, this is just what you need. Say you want to book dinner reservations, or snag tickets to a special event, this service has you covered for free if you have trip insurance.

Need to Cancel Your Plans? No Problem! 

What do you do if you need to cancel your road trip? If you’ve been planning your trip for a long time, having to cancel it can be a big letdown. But trip insurance can help ease the blow. Though people tend to associate trip insurance with flight cancellations, there are a few ways it can help. Road trips often involve staying in a few different places along the way. If you booked a series of hotels and/or vacation home rentals, a trip insurance plan with a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) option can help you get reimbursed for any deposits you may have had to put down. 

Unused Event Tickets

Maybe you’re traveling to catch your favorite band several times as they tour across the country. Or you want to cheer on your favorite sports teams at away games. If you need to cancel your plans, the Cancel For Any Reason benefit can reimburse you for unused event tickets. That way, you won’t lose any money on the tickets if you have to miss out on the show or game.  Find out more about how Trip Insurance with CFAR can help you.  

The open road offers travelers more freedom, control and flexibility. And trip insurance gives travelers everything they need to feel safe and secure along their way. Discover what else trip insurance can do for travelers today.