Summer is here. As we focus on planning family road trips, experts urge us to make sure safety comes first by having these car safety checks performed before hitting the road.

With the temperatures rising, your vehicle is the first to feel the impact. In order to make sure your car is ready to handle the effects, certain items in your vehicle should be verified beforehand. And, according to experts, tires should be checked first.

Check Your Tires For Safety

Before filling up the car with suitcases and cheerful children, have your tires checked for pressure. But that’s not all. When it’s hot out, your tires will be rolling against hot pavement for hours. That contact could have a serious impact on the tires’ treads. In order to make sure that your car’s tires don’t expose you to safety risks, have them checked for tire depth. To many car safety experts, the penny test is the best way to go about this.

So before you hit the road, use the penny to determine whether the tires are safe. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to get your tires replaced.

But say your tires are good to go, should you ignore any other issues? Experts say you shouldn’t. Have your tires checked for pressure constantly. Because the heat may help to deflate your tires more quickly, have them checked for pressure and keep them inflated to the specifications detailed on your car’s owners manual.

Check Air Conditioning Systems For Defects

Too often, plastic bags or other debris end up blocking your radiator. As a result, the air flow becomes restricted. In order to make sure your A/C is functioning correctly, have the car checked for anything blocking the air flow or for any problems with the cabin air filter before worrying about how much the repair will cost. A simple check could do the trick.

And Don’t Forget Your Windshield Wipers

Because summer is here, most of us forget that, we still may encounter rainy summer days. Having your windshield wipers checked for cracks or heat-related damage could help you to avoid visibility issues in the future. To many car safety experts, a $25 investment is enough to keep you from dealing with greater issues ahead, since visibility problems may cause accidents.

Other problems linked to damaged windshields include actual glass damage that could cost you a few hundreds of dollars. So avoid any serious incidents by making sure your windshield wipers are replaced before your summer road trip. If you’re serious about safety, having your cars checked before any longer drive should be part of your routine.