Wednesday is the first day of summer and many people are already thinking about their vacations and driving trips.
Many people can't get on the road soon enough when vacation time hits, and local driving instructor Carol Bouchard warns even with a little sunshine, drivers should be preparing their cars for an emergency situation.
"A lot of people think they have to prepare for the winter, but really you need to be prepared for emergency 365 days a year,” said Bouchard.
Larry Bartlett runs a towing company in North Bay and he said people may surprised at just how many calls for assistance he receives in summer months
"During the summer, we see a lot more vehicles overheating,” said Bartlett.
“Especially if they are towing their trailers or campers, that kind of stuff, so we do see a lot of overheating of the rads and transmissions."
When it comes to driving in the summer, Bartlett said drivers often underestimate the importance of having good tires.
"Everyone expects that they don't need traction in the summer because it's just pavement, but they are very wrong. You need good tires even in the summer almost as much as you do during the winter,” he said.
"If you're driving with under inflated tires, that will affect your traction and people don't realize that you can hydroplane on water just as much as you can lose control on ice, snow and winter conditions,” Bouchard added.
Both Bouchard and Bartlett advise avoiding the rush by giving yourself plenty of time to get to your destination after a thorough check of your vehicle, and they add always have roadside emergency kit, in the case of a breakdown.
