WACO, TX — It's a buffet of weather and Texas is no stranger, a taste of rain one minute, sunshine the next. But if you ask someone in Central Texas what the summertime main course is? It's hot.
You'll get the obvious answer. While fortunately, here at home, we're not dealing with life-threatening heat plaguing the Pacific Northwest. Summer days with temps in the triple digits are something fairly common to Texans.
Temps that's don't just take a toll on your body, but also your vehicle, according to Daniel Armbruster of AAA Texas. As we roll into the Independence Day travel (period), a time when a record amount of Texans are forecast by AAA to be traveling. For the holiday this weekend, it's something to keep in mind. In fact, over the holiday weekend, AAA Texas expects to have to rescue 18,000 drivers.
"So you want to make a good bet is what we say," Armbruster said.
BET is the acronym for Batteries, Engine, and Tires. It's a checklist of a few quick things to take into account before hitting the open road this weekend.
"We'll start with battery," Armbruster explained.
According to AAA Texas, you should ensure your battery is in good working condition before traveling this weekend, and do things like clean off any corrosion from the battery and tighten the clamps down.
"You just want to take a towel and dust away any dust or debris off of them."
From the battery, you'll want to move to the engine and check for any hose cracks that may have been caused by heat, along with making sure you have enough oil, wiper fluid, coolant, etc.
"Make sure that those are topped off and making sure your belts and hoses aren't cracked."
Armbruster said to be sure to never remove the readiot cap when the engine is hot, or you could cause yourself a serious burn. He also said between flushes, make sure your coolant is filled with the correct amount by checking the overflow reservoir.
And finally, move on to your tires and ensure threat inflated to manufacturers recommendations
"See on here that the rear tire needs to be 33 PSI and the front tires are near 33 PSI."
Buts it's not just what's on the inside of your tire, it's also what's on the outside: any ensure you have an adequate amount of tread on your tires, all you need is a quarter:
"We're going to turn it upside down and put in the tread. What we don't want to see is Washington's head. We want the tread to cover. Washington's head."
And perhaps most importantly, it's not just your vehicle you should ensure is in good working condition, make sure you are too.
"We've seen a lot of aggressive driving over the past few months," Armbruster said "And it's going to be really important drivers are checking their emotions and just staying calm."
For further details on ensuring your vehicle is road trip ready, you can find the step-by-step process in its entirety on AAA Texas. If you encounter a break-down during your weekend road trip, visit here how to best respond.
