Keep Your Provisions Close At-Hand
June 18, 2025
If you’re looking forward to going on vacation this Summer, and your vacation is going to involve some driving, make sure you’ve got your provisions stocked up before you go! We’ve mentioned before about vehicle safety and making sure you’re roadworthy, but let’s take a moment to address personal provisions that you should consider taking along. There are obviously a million things you could also bring, but we’ve cherry-picked a list of things we’ve found most useful.
- Water: we recommend making sure you’ve got adequate water. Keeping gallon jugs of clean water are always a good idea, especially if covering large distances in poorly-populated areas. If you like it cold and refreshing, consider taking along a cooler. Yes, soft drinks are great and tasty to take along, but consider always having water as a backup for emergencies.
- Snacks: no one likes being around “hangry” passengers, especially little kids. Keeping “Die Kinder” (“The Kids” in German) occupied can be a challenge, so plan accordingly as they can quickly lead to distracted driving. Driving for long distances on an empty stomach can also lead to trouble if you’re blood sugar-sensitive. Consider taking along some quick and convenient snacks just to keep everyone “topped” off is a good idea.
- USB Charging Cable and GPS: remember the “old days” of maps and having to ask for directions? Yeah, we’re trying to forget those, too! GPS are a modern must-have for travel, particularly when visiting unfamiliar areas or plotting good navigational routes. If your vehicle doesn’t have a built-in GPS system, make sure you’re covered not only with your handy dandy handheld device but also with w USB charging cable to be sure you’ve got the “juice” to get where you’re going! A dashboard cellphone mount is also a “nice-to-have”.
- Roadside Emergency Kits: these are always a good idea for the occasional emergency situations as well as for peace-of-mind. These are available at many hardware stores as well as “superstores” and also online and are definitely smart investments. We’ll go into specifics about what should be included in a later, more focused article, so keep your eyes open for that.
- First Aid Kit: so long as we’re in “kit mode”, we should also consider having a good, complete first aid kit handy for any unforeseen medical problems or injuries that might come up. In the interest of brevity, we’ll spare you the specifics of what should be included for another article.
- Jumper Cables: if these are not already included in your roadside emergency kit, a good pair of jumper cables can be a lifesaver! Make sure you’re not hitting the road without them!
- Portable Tire Inflator and Tire Gauge: flat tires are always annoying to have to deal with, so make sure you’re prepared. We’ve mentioned before about checking your spare tire before hitting the road, but we’d also recommend a portable tire inflator that can be run off your cigarette lighter socket (see here: Best Portable Tire Inflators 2025, Tested) as this will eliminate the need to find an external electrical outlet. Of course, a tire gauge is also handy to have with you!
- Blankets, Towels, and Pillows: these always find use on the longer trips, especially if travelling with kids. Having these around for any “road naps” that you might need are also good ideas.
- Hand Sanitizer: these always find numerous uses on the longer trips!
We at Ditmire Motorworks are always concerned about your safety and wellbeing! For more tips about roadtrip gear that you might find handy, see the weblinks provided below. Safe driving, and we’re here if you need some help staying safe and road worthy!
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DWI: A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH Last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 13,000 died in car accidents related to driving while intoxicated….and that marked the second consecutive year that this mark was achieved. In 2022, roughly 32% of all traffic-related fatalities were related to DWI, and that number was 31% in 20211. With the “100 most dangerous driving days” (Memorial Day to Labor Day) rapidly approaching, more people are about to be hitting the roads for Summer activities including vacations, and the risk of even one person driving impaired becomes even higher. Recent statistics indicated that the 21-24 (roughly 27% of all traffic-related deaths), 25-34 (roughly 27% of all traffic-related deaths), and 35-44 (roughly 23% of all traffic-related deaths) were responsible for most of the alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the US, but underaged drivers in the 15-20 (17%) were also strongly affected2. In these cases, we’re defining “drunk” as having a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of ≥0.08 grams of alcohol/deciliter of blood, but lower concentrations even down to 0.01 are also dangerous3. How much is too much? Well, impairment begins even at very low concentrations. Alcohol is rapidly absorbed across the lining of the stomach and small intestines, and it is accumulated in the bloodstream until it’s metabolized in the liver. Relaxation, loss of visual acuity, and loss of judgement begin to become noticeable at around 0.02. To give you an idea of how 0.02 “feels”, if you’re starting to feel “warm and “happy”, you’re likely around 0.02. By 0.05, you’re feeling relaxed, and “loose” with lower inhibitions. Remember: there have been drinking-related deaths even at 0.01….so get a ride home….call a friend, call a taxi, call an Uber. Don’t take any chances. By 0.08, you’re legally drunk, and you shouldn’t be even thinking about driving. To provide some additional context, 0.15 is around where you are when you’re vomiting or having trouble with your balance3. Folks, we at Ditmire Motorworks genuinely care about your wellbeing! PLEASE think before you drink, and we look forward to many happy years helping you to take care of yourself, your families, and your vehicles! 1. https://madd.org/press-release/more-than-13000-people-died-in-alcohol-related-crashes-for-second-straight-year/#:~:text=More%20than%2013%2C000%20People%20Died,Crashes%20for%20Second%20Straight%20Year&text=WASHINGTON%20(April%205%2C%202024),Traffic%20Safety%20Administration%20(NHTSA). 2. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/drunk-driving-statistics/#:~:text=Drunk%20Driving%20Statistics%20by%20Age,08%20or%20higher. 3. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving wn from a different source.
Mercedes-Benz has a long history and well-deserved reputation for excellence in safety feature. One of the reasons for this is the tireless work of one man: Bela Barenyi (1907-1997), a Hungarian Engineer who worked for Austria-Fiat, Steyr, and Adler Automobiles before joining the Daimler-Benz team in 1939. By that time, he had already developed an impressive resume, having designed the Volkswagen “Beetle” in 1925. Once at Daimler-Benz, he conceptualized a revolutionary new way of thinking of automobile frames, envisioning a “passenger safety cell” flanked by “crumple zones” designed to compress and absorb the energies involved in collisions through controlled deformations, with the safety cell remaining undeformed. He began work in the late 1940’s on his design, and, by 1951 and with the issuing of Patent 845 157, the passenger safety cell was ready to be realized in commercial automobiles. In 1959, the World got to experience this design in the Mercedes-Benz W 111 Model, called the “Fintail” for its distinctive tail fin look1. Add to this the collapsible steering column, a later invention also credited to Barenyi, and one can see how he earned the title “The Father of Passive Safety”. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 19942. Although we may take these technologies for granted now, it is significant to realize that, at that time, automobile manufacturers were “steering clear” (pun intended) of safety issues as talking points. Up until the 1970’s, many feared that discussions around car accidents were “deal killers” for auto sales. We can give a lot of credit to men like Bela Barenyi for thinking “ahead of the curve”. 1. https://www.piston.my/2021/09/18/bela-barenyi-the-man-who-made-cars-crumple-to-save-lives/ 2. https://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honoree/bela-barenyi/
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Get expert brake repair in Absecon, NJ at Ditmire Motorworks. Our ASE-certified team handles everything from inspections to replacements. Visit us today!
