One of the most important things that you can do before a road trip is ensuring that your vehicle is in the best possible shape for the safety of you, your passengers, and anyone else that you are sharing the road with. Listed below are just two of the repairs that are essential before you leave on your trip.

Cracked Windshield

The first thing that you are going to want to consider repairing or replacing before a road trip is a damaged windshield. When it comes to windshield damage, you can usually get away with simply have chips sealed to prevent them from spreading, but cracks are quite a bit more serious. A crack can often affect the overall strength of the windshield.

This is a major problem because a windshield is often vital when it comes to your safety in an accident, and its ability to keep you safe is impaired if it is cracked. For example, in a head-on collision, a damaged windshield may not be strong enough to keep you or a passenger from being ejected from the vehicle if it is cracked. Another issue is that a cracked windshield will not be able to provide as much assistance and strength to the roof if your vehicle rolls over, which can allow the roof to cave in on you.

Worn Tires

After you have ensured that your windshield is in good shape, the next area that you should focus on is the condition of your tires. In particular, you will want to make sure that your tires are not overly worn down.

One way to do this is to place a penny with Lincoln's head facing down into one of the grooves on each tire. If you can see the entirety of Lincoln's head, then your tires are worn down to the point where it is most likely too dangerous to continue driving on them. When tires are worn down this far, it can often be difficult to control your vehicle on wet or icy roads, which can make an accident much more likely.

Another reason to have your worn tires replaced is to avoid stranding yourself and your passengers in the middle of nowhere. Worn tires can easily develop a leak or blow-out while you are driving.

Drive into your local mechanic or repair shop today in order to have your entire vehicle checked out before your road trip. Replacing worn tires and a cracked windshield can help ensure that your next road trip proceeds as smoothly and safely as possible. Contact a company like Wasatch Body Shop, Inc. for more information.