Holiday travel tips: Is your car winter ready?

You should always be prepared to travel with an emergency kit like this one! 

Are you planning to travel for the holidays this winter?  We may have already had our first snows of the year. but soon we will have to think about more than just what holiday lights to install.  And because some of us may be traveling several miles for that Thanksgiving meal, family Christmas or other holiday event, things can get hectic. To make sure you arrive safely, it is important to take some time and prepare your vehicle. In addition to filling up your gas tank and checking your tires, Ready.gov recommends before your trip, you or a mechanic check the following on your vehicle

•  Antifreeze levels
• Battery and ignition system
• Brakes
•  Exhaust system
•  Fuel and air filters
• Heater and defroster
•  Lights and flashing hazard lights
•  Oil
•   Thermostat
• Windshield wiper equipment and washer fluid level

What if all the necessary maintenance has been completed on your vehicle but you punctured a tire or slid off an icy road into a snowbank during a snow storm?  You can be prepared by having an emergency kit with the right items, which can help keep you comfortable until help arrives to get you back on the road.

The emergency kit in your vehicle should be checked every six months and expired items should be replaced as needed. Here are some essential items we suggest having in your vehicle’s emergency kit:

• First aid kit with bandages in multiple sizes, gauze pads, tape, antibiotic cream, over-the-counter pain relievers, allergy medicine, hand sanitizer, and cotton swabs
• Flashlight with extra batteries.
• Jumper cables
• Drinking water 
• Non-perishable snacks such as nuts
• Warm clothing or blankets
• Multi-purpose tool or tool kit
• Road flares or reflective warning triangles
• Ice scraper and snow brush
• Small fire extinguisher
• Charged cell phone with family and emergency phone numbers
• Cell phone charger
• Spare Tire and tools to help change it

Once you have all this completed, you’re ready to travel safe this winter! Make sure you know before you go, by checking road conditions at www.kandrive.org.

Thankful for seat belt safety

Make sure to Click it. Or ticket. this holiday season

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest seasons for America’s roads. With millions of drivers traveling near and far for Thanksgiving dinner, it’s more important than ever to stress the importance of seat belt safety. To keep drivers and their passengers safe, the Kansas Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies across the state are working around the clock to ensure Thanksgiving travelers are wearing their seat belts.

The high-visibility “Click it. Or ticket.” campaign aims to reduce the number of fatalities that occur when vehicle passengers fail to buckle up. In 2018 in Kansas, 127 unrestrained people died in motor vehicle crashes. Many of these deaths could have been prevented with the simple click of a seat belt. In Kansas, pick-up truck drivers and drivers in rural areas are among the top unrestrained fatalities.

With thousands of Kansans traveling to visit friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday, law enforcement across Kansas will have an increased effort during this high travel week. The high-visibility crackdown will run from Nov. 22 through the holiday weekend. If they spot you, they will pull you over and issue a citation.

“It’s our greatest hope that our community members make it to their Thanksgiving destinations safely,” said Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. “Our goal is 100% compliance every trip, every time. Help us and your communities drive to zero fatalities on Kansas roadways this holiday season.”

The “Click it. Or ticket.” campaign is funded by a federal grant administered by KDOT. The crackdown runs concurrently with a media campaign reminding motorists that wearing your seatbelt is the law, even in the backseat. And, it's your best defense in a crash. So, please drive responsibly and ride safely. For more information about traveling safely this Thanksgiving, please visit KTSRO.org for more information. 

For continuously updated road conditions check www.kandrive.org 

State agencies urge winter weather preparedness during the holiday season

Here are some items that you can include in your winter weather travel kit. 

Prior to the upcoming winter weather season, the Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Turnpike Authority, and the Kansas Highway Patrol are urging motorists to travel safely and prepare for winter road conditions wherever they travel.

Road conditions in the state can be checked utilizing KDOT’s KanDrive site, www.kandrive.org. KanDrive provides map views of road conditions and closures, real-time camera views of current highway conditions, and links to road information for neighboring states. You can also call 5-1-1 from any phone in the state for a recording of road conditions.

The state encourages you to make sure your vehicle is prepared ahead of the storm season, when ice, snow or rain, as well as colder temperatures can make driving more difficult.  Check your wiper blades, tire treads, wiper fluid levels, and that in general your vehicle is in good mechanical working order, including your emergency flashing lights. It is recommended you keep a winter weather emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. Emergency kits should contain item such as: 

• A flash light
• Extra warm clothing
• Extra batteries
• Extra Vehicle Fluid
• A shovel
• Battery-powered radio
• Non-perishable snack food
• Bottled water
• Matches and candles
• First aid kit
• Pocket knife
• Tow chain and/or rope
• Booster cables
• Road flares
• Fluorescent Distress flag
• Blankets 

Here's a fun activity to teach youngsters how to dress warmly for winter travel. Don't forget a snow shovel in case you get stuck! 

When winter weather occurs, motorists should prepare to leave early and allow extra time for travel.  Frost and snow should be completely cleared off all windows, mirrors and lights to provide maximum visibility.

If you encounter winter weather while traveling: 

• Accelerate and brake gently.
• Increase following distance between you and other vehicles.
• Do not use cruise control when traveling in wet, icy or snowy conditions.
• Always buckle up and ensure your children are in appropriately-fitted child-safety seats.
• If you become involved in a non-injury crash, which does not involve hazardous materials, Kansas law requires you to move your vehicle out of the lane of travel to protect yourself, as well as other motorists.
• Dress for conditions. Make sure you have a coat, gloves, appropriate footwear, etc. if you are traveling in winter weather.
• Let loved ones know your route of travel. 

If you need help on a Kansas highway, call *47 for the Kansas Highway Patrol or call *KTA for the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

If you have an active K-TAG from the Kansas Turnpike Authority, you can use the electronic lanes on Oklahoma and Texas tollroads. Verify your K-TAG account is active and ready for travel by logging into your online account (www.myktag.com), by calling (800) USE-KTAG or by using the PayIt Kansas mobile app.