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Should your vehicle break down, you don't want to be left in a dire situation. With a well-stocked emergency supply, you can rest assured that you'll be able to navigate the situation without added risk. Read on for tips on what items to keep handy in your car, just in case you're ever in need during an emergency situation. Take Food and Water If you get stuck in a remote area because your car broke down, you'll need food and hydration, so you should keep a case of six to eight water bottles in your car's trunk. If you're going to be traveling with more people during bad weather or to an isolated location, bring one or two more cases. For food, you can keep trail mix, protein bars, and other non-perishable items that will give you a burst of energy if you find yourself stuck someplace. more Travel with Something to Keep You Warm A wool blanket is an ideal choice because it can warm you up even if it gets wet. It's also a good idea to store several hand-warming packets, the kind sold at sporting goods stores. To help you stay dry, buy a poncho that's folded in a small plastic bag. It won't take up space but will be invaluable if your car dies and you need to walk to a gas station in the rain. You may also want to keep an extra sweatshirt in your vehicle. Getting stranded in cold or damp weather puts you in a vulnerable situation if you have no way to stay warm. Keep Light Sources on Hand Because you may get stranded in the dark or simply need better lighting to check under the hood, you need to carry a flashlight and extra batteries for it in your car. It's also a good idea to have other light sources such as matches, candles, and glow sticks. Remember to Take a First Aid Kit Any good emergency readiness kit for your car should include the basic components of a first aid kit. As for medical supplies, carry bandages of varying sizes, alcohol swabs, gauze pads, burn cream, nitrile gloves, scissors, an instant ice pack, and medical tape. You can augment these basics with supplies such as antibiotic cream, insect sting wipes, toilettes, and tweezers. Pack Emergency Equipment for Your Car So far, this list has focused primarily on taking care of you. Don't forget to travel with items that help you get your car up and running again. A spare tire, jumper cables, a fire extinguisher, and foam tire sealant are a few essential emergency items for your car. To help you address your car's problem on the roadside, you should also think about packing a tire jack, tire iron, duct tape, a Swiss Army Knife, and a small tool kit. If you can get your car moving, you may not need some of the survival items included on this list. Wherever you're going, it's always a smart idea to take along your cellphone and charger. They're a critical component of being prepared for roadside emergencies. Image via pixabay.com | Licensed under Pixabay License

Driving to your destination for family trips and vacations is cost-effective and simpler than flying. However, a long time in the car can feel like torture for parents and children alike. Here are five ways to keep your kids occupied and make everyone happy during a lengthy car ride. Family Car Games Many of us have fond memories of playing games in the car with family. For decades, games such as I Spy and 20 Questions have helped drivers stay alert and have kept children entertained. Some good car games to try on your next trip include license plate lingo, the alphabet game, and the map game. more License plate lingo is easy and can lead to absolute hilarity. Taking turns, each player picks a license plate from another vehicle on the road and makes up what the letters stand for. For example, a license plate beginning in "GHY" might mean "Gremlins Hate Yarn." You get the idea. Check the internet for more car game ideas and explanations. Audiobooks Sometimes listening to music can be a bore. Instead of playing the same songs over and over, save everyone's sanity with an audiobook. Find a book that everyone will like and play it over the speakers for the drive. Many audiobooks are between 8 and 13 hours long, so you might even get to finish the story on the way home. If your family can't agree on a book to enjoy, they can listen to their own selections through their headphones with their devices. Check your local library's website for audiobook downloading options. The Chesapeake Public Library uses programs like Overdrive and Hoopla to allow members to borrow digital audiobooks. Travel Binder Create a travel binder for each kid, including specific things they love. Some kids might enjoy a few children's magazines like Highlights or High Five. You can also fill the binder with coloring pages featuring their favorite movie characters or superheroes. Other great add-ins include stickers, word searches, math games, and Mad Libs. Put a zipper pouch pencil holder in the binder with pencils, crayons, pens, or whatever each specific child likes. The binder contents will vary with age, but you might even want to get your kids' input on what they would like. Mess-Free Coloring and Drawing The Magic Pad and other mess-free coloring options with special paper and markers are ideal for little ones during long trips. They can color and create without making a mess on the car or themselves. Water markers with special drawing pads are also a great idea. Opt for a Backseat Entertainment System Most family-sized vehicles offer a backseat entertainment system. The 2020 Toyota Sienna offers a dual-view rear entertainment system with a 16.4-inch color screen that folds down from the ceiling. It includes a Blu-ray player, and an SD and HDMI hook-up. With the available wireless hotspot enabled, the kids can stream their favorite movies and TV shows the whole ride. Toyota's third-row SUVs also offer this type of entertainment system. Come by Priority Toyota Chesapeake to browse our selection of new vehicles. Find the perfect family vehicle with all of the convenient features you want and space you need to make every trip fun and easy. Image via pixabay.com | Licensed under Pixabay License

Having a dead battery can seem like the worst thing of the day, but there's no need to feel discouraged. Follow these simple steps, and you'll be back on the road in no time. Gather your supplies: - a set of jumper cables - another vehicle, a charged battery or portable power unit - safety equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses more 1) Identify the positive terminal on both batteries, marked with red. 2) In the vehicle with the dead battery, identify an unpainted metal surface that is not next to the battery. 3) Connect a positive (red) jumper cable clamp to the positive (red) post of the dead battery. 4) Connect the other positive (red) jumper cable clamp to the good battery’s positive (red) post. WARNING: Do NOT allow the positive and negative jumper cable clamps to touch once connected to a battery. This will generate sparks. 5) Connect the black (negative) clamp on that same end of the jumper cable to the negative (black) post of the good battery. 6) IMPORTANT: Connect the other negative (black) clamp to the unpainted metal surface under the hood of the car with the dead battery. DO NOT connect to the negative post of the dead battery – this could cause an explosion. 7) Start the good vehicle, allow it to run for about 5 minutes with the jumper cables connected. Attempt to start the disabled vehicle; if the engine won’t turn over, try repositioning the negative (black) jumper cable connected to the unpainted metal surface. Ensure the surface is clean so as to allow for a good connection. If the engine doesn’t turn over after a couple more minutes, try to race the good vehicle’s engine a little so the alternator delivers more amperage. 8) Once the dead vehicle has started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse order they were connected. Allow the vehicle to run for at least 10 minutes before turning off, to recharge the battery. Image via pixabay.com

Road trips are a fantastic way to spend time with your family, but if you don't plan ahead and prepare your vehicle, the adventure can quickly turn chaotic and leave you wanting the vacation to end. You can keep this from happening and get the most from your journey with a little preparation. Try these four simple hacks to keep the mess and clutter at bay on long drives. more Drop Cupcake Wrappers Into the Cupholders Whether you drop drinks or change into your cupholders, these small spaces are often the go-to container for whatever you happen to hold in the car. Unfortunately, this means that grime sometimes builds up in the space. You can prevent this with a simple hack: dropping cupcake wrappers in the cupholders. These will fit perfectly into the space and catch any syrupy spills that fall from drinks. Also, if you tend to drop change into cupholders, you won't have to work so hard to dig it out — simply remove the wrapper and dump the contents into your hand. Alternately, you can use an organizer or a hack like a coffee cup tissue dispenser to get more utility out of your cupholders. Clean as You Go Don't wait for a huge mess to pile up in your car before you decide to clean it out. Each time you stop for gas or to stretch your legs, take a moment to remove any trash that's accumulated during the ride. Also, pack some wet wipes and give the interior a once-over to keep it clean. You're more likely to dirty an already messy space, so keeping on top of this chore can keep your car clean and manageable for an entire trip. Keep an Envelope for Receipts If you're traveling and need to keep a paper trail for tax purposes or to budget for your journey, take along an envelope or another container, such as one made for 3x5 cards, to store your receipts in. It's easy to crumple these papers up and shove them into door pockets or under the visor. This simple hack will keep this from happening and help you find important paper slips when you need them later. Bring a Trash Bag Everyone along for the ride should know that trash doesn't go on the floor — it goes into the bags you've specifically brought for that purpose. Some people just place a plastic bag on the floor or between the front seats. This is fine, but you can also find an organizer to hang a trash bag from behind the front passenger's seat. This way, the space around your feet will stay clear. Another hack is to use a container, such as a seal-able one made for cereal, to hold a trash bag. Many containers are even small enough to fit snugly between the seats. Family road trips are lots of fun, but they can also mean a huge mess for cars. Try these hacks on your next adventure to reduce everyone's stress and have a better experience on the road. Image via comedy_nose | Licensed under CC BY 2.0

Spring is a time for renewal. We let go of the cold, dark winter and prepare ourselves for outdoor adventures. Why not take the opportunity to show your car your gratitude for all its hard work during those brutal winter months? A spring checkup can help you discover any winter damage and prevent any new problems. Of course, if anything is really acting up, such as indicator lights going off, or you see a serious leak, take it to your friendly auto mechanic for a computerized diagnosis. In the meantime, these are four critical Spring automotive Tasks that we at Priority Toyota Chesapeake highly recommend. Inspect Your Tires It's not an exaggeration to say that your life depends on your tires. A blowout can cause serious injury, even death. So, it's imperative to check your tires often, and Spring is as good a time as any. Air pressure typically changes dramatically during a storm, and it also varies with the temperature outside. This impacts your tire pressure and causes it to go up or down. Take out your tire gauge and make sure the PSI is what is recommended on the print of the tire. Also, if you use studded tires for the winter, it obviously time to remove them and put on your regular tires. more Check Your Fluids Spring is a good time to check all of the fluids in your vehicle to make sure there are no leaks, that the gaskets are secure, and that they're filled to the recommended amount. This includes everything from your windshield wiper fluid, to the oil, coolant, and transmission fluid.  When was the last time you changed your oil? If you've driven 3,000 miles since then, it's probably time. Always follow your car manufacturers instructions. Examine Your Battery Your battery and spark plugs provide power to your vehicle, and they have to work extra hard in cold temperatures. Wintertime stress can weaken their performance, so it's a good idea to test your battery before it gives out altogether. A good rule-of-thumb is that if it's more than a couple of years old, it probably needs replacing. You know It will be cheaper than having to call a tow truck in the future. Clean Your Car Inside and Out We often spring clean our house, so why not our car? Spring is the perfect time to get it looking and smelling all wonderful again. If you feel like splurging, take it to get detailed. If not, you'll have to do it yourself. Start with a good wash and wax. Then thoroughly vacuum it inside and out. Lastly, toss out all the garbage and clean the cloth, leather, or vinyl seats, along with the dashboard and console. Before long, it'll be looking shiny and new again. Your car is a big investment. Typically, it's one of the biggest investments of your lifetime. So, take good care of it so it will last longer. These essential Spring tasks will certainly help it have a nice long life. Image via Pixaby by VenV

Having a baby is a wonderful blessing. However, your new child does bring certain stresses to your life, one of which is choosing a car seat to keep him or her safe. Eliminate the fear of injuring your child in a car accident by using these tips to pick a car seat that will keep him or her secure and protected no matter the scenario. Rear-Facing or Convertible There are two main styles of car seats to consider for a newborn: rear-facing and convertible. Both have their pros and cons. A rear-facing seat obviously faces towards the back of the car so that your baby is pointed away from the windshield. It is perfect for infants because you can easily grab it out of the car without disturbing the child, but because it cannot be turned around, you will need to invest in a new car seat once your child hits a certain height. more Convertible seats, on the other hand, can transform into front-facing seats once your child is at least 2 years old, saving you from buying a new seat. However, they are portable like rear-facing seats, meaning you will have to unbuckle and carry your baby each time you leave the car. Measure Your Car Not every car seat fits in every backseat. That is why it is important to have accurate measurements for your car before you hit the stores. Many seats have larger bases that do not fit in compact cars, so you will need to buy a smaller version instead. Additionally, if you have more than one child, you will need to make sure you have enough room for two seats. Measure any existing car seats and verify there will be enough room to fit a second. Look for Key Features Regardless of the type of car seat you choose, it should come with a number of key base features. You will want to make sure it is compatible with LATCH systems so that it is easy to hook into your car without needing seatbelts. Additionally, it is important for seats to have side impact protection in the form of foam pads around your baby's head. This will protect him or her if your car is broadsided. The other feature to consider is a five-point harness system. This is the most efficient way of securing your baby in place and will include a strap between the legs that meets in the middle of your baby's waist, two shoulder straps, and two waist straps. Avoid Secondhand Seats Even if you have a tight budget and want to save some money, buying a secondhand seat is not the way to do it. Safety standards are constantly improving in the car seat industry, meaning that a seat that is just a year old could be completely outdated. Saving a few bucks is not worth putting your baby at risk in a crash. Even if you are the safest driver in the world, accidents can still happen. By choosing a quality car seat for your baby, you will be doing everything you can to keep him or her safe while you travel.   " Car Seat Safety " by Intel Free Press under use of CC BY-SA 2.0 /Cropped from original