15 Summer Driving Tips To Help You Navigate Through Heat Waves

It’s essential to follow summer driving tips as vacationing families and inexperienced teen drivers take to the roads. While summer is often a great time for driving, it can also bring an increased rate of car accidents and strain vehicles with high temperatures, potentially leading to breakdowns.

Summer driving tips are best practices that help drivers stay safe during extreme heat, heavy vacation traffic, summer storms and increased roadside breakdown risks.

Summer driving tips, such as maintaining safe driving practices in heavy traffic, avoiding bad weather and staying hydrated, can help you and your passengers avoid accidents while driving in summer.

Keep reading for summer driving safety tips that explain how to drive safely in hot weather, help your car beat the heat and get you to your destination safely.

Key Takeaways Summer driving tips can help keep you safe on the roads, which can feature hotter weather and more difficult traffic conditions in the summer months. Keep your car maintained, stay refreshed and alert on the road and avoid driving in dangerous conditions to help prevent costly accidents and premium increases. Summer drivers should consider getting optional coverages like roadside assistance and physical damage protection to expand their protection. Car insurance typically covers your road trips across the United States and Canada, but likely not in Mexico without a separate endorsement. Speak with a licensed insurance agent who can help you find the most affordable car insurance policy.

1. Check Your Tire Pressure

You should ideally check your tire pressure once a month or before a long summer road trip, ensuring it is at the manufacturer-specified PSI (pounds per square inch) in the vehicle owner's manual.^[1] Driving with incorrect PSI can increase your stopping distance while braking, reduce driving stability, wear down your tires faster, burn through fuel faster and increase the risk of a tire blowout.^[2] Increases in summer temperatures could also affect your tire pressure — with PSI shifting by 1 PSI for each 10-degree temperature change.^[1]

2. Inspect Tire Tread for Signs of Wear

You’ll want to inspect your tire treads before any summer driving and replace them if they’re too worn. Heavily worn tire treads can increase the risk of skidding or hydroplaning, reduce your traction while braking and increase the risk of a puncture.^[3]

Ensure your tread depth is deeper than 2/32 of an inch, the recommended tread depth for standard driving, by using the penny test to see if your tire completely covers Lincoln’s head when stuck inside the tread. Treads of at least 4/32 of an inch are recommended for driving in wet weather, which can be easily checked by using a similar quarter test to ensure Washington’s head is covered.^[4]

While you’ll generally want to replace your tires every six years, or between 40,000 and 60,000 miles of use, some treads may wear down more quickly due to their quality or your driving habits, so it's essential to check before you go summer driving.^[5] Even if your tire appears to be in fine condition, it may be worth bringing a spare tire in case the tread wears down while driving or your tire is punctured during a summer trip.

3. Test Your Battery Before Temperatures Rise

You’ll want to test your battery before temperatures get too high, especially if you plan to drive during the summer. Both cold winter weather and hot summer temperatures can reduce your battery’s performance, causing it to degrade faster than expected. Since your car often uses more electricity in higher temperatures, such as powering the air conditioning or charging multiple devices over long trips, you’ll want to ensure your battery is healthy — otherwise, you could increase the risk of an unexpected battery failure while on the road.^[6]

4. Check All Vehicle Fluids

You’ll want to verify that all of your vehicle fluids are topped off before taking the car for a spin this summer, including:

• Engine oil
• Transmission fluid
• Brake fluid
• Coolant
• Power steering fluid
• Windshield washer fluid

Hot temperatures may cause some fluids, such as coolant, to evaporate more quickly, so regularly checking during the summer months can help you avoid running dry on these critical parts of your car’s systems.^[7] Checking your fluids regularly can also help you determine if there are any leaks.

5. Watch for Signs of an Overheating Engine

While car engines are designed to operate at high temperatures — between 195 and 220 degrees — driving in hot summer weather and on asphalt that has been baking in the sun can cause an engine to overheat. Overheating can severely damage your engine and other car components, potentially requiring an expensive visit to a mechanic and delaying any summer driving plans.^[8]

Look for signs of an overheated vehicle, including:^[9][10]

• Red temperature gauge or other warning lights on the dashboard
• Steam coming out from under your hood
• Sweet or burning smells coming from the engine
• Stalling or other engine issues
• Strange clicking or clanking sounds

If you notice your car is overheating, pull over safely and park, then open your windows and turn on the car’s heating to help cool the engine. Let the car cool down before checking your coolant levels.

Never remove a radiator cap while your engine is still hot.

If replacing the coolant isn’t the problem, you’re unable to refill the coolant yourself or your car continues to overheat after attempted fixes, consider calling a tow truck or roadside assistance to take you to the nearest mechanic.^[11]

6. Prepare for Summer Road Construction Zones

You’ll want to drive with extra caution through summer road construction zones, as the more limited maneuverability, changing lanes and presence of construction workers could increase the risk of an accident. Research your routes ahead of time to see if there are alternative paths to avoid construction.

Additionally, you should always pay attention when driving through construction zones by giving other drivers additional space, merging into open lanes as soon as possible rather than waiting and paying attention to slow and stop signs that guide traffic.

7. Avoid Driving While Fatigued

Always avoid driving while fatigued, even if you feel you have a planned summer driving trip. Fatigued driving is incredibly dangerous, resulting in 21% of all fatal crashes and 13% of all crash-related hospitalizations.^[12]

If you feel you’re fatigued, you should avoid further driving until you’ve had a chance to rest by pulling over to a rest stop, allowing one of your passengers to drive for you or putting off your summer driving until a later time. To avoid fatigue, try to rest by pulling over at least once every two hours.^[13]

8. Stay Hydrated

Driving in summer heat can lead to dehydration, which can cause fatigue and make it harder to pay attention to the road. If you notice you’re starting to feel dizzy or have a headache, it may be time to pull over and take a break to rehydrate.

You can help yourself stay hydrated on the road by ensuring you and your passengers drink at least eight ounces of water every hour, munch on hydrating snacks like fruits and vegetables and stay cool with the car’s air conditioning.^[14]

9. Pack a Summer Emergency Kit

Having an emergency kit in your vehicle can be helpful if your car breaks down and you’re stranded on the side of the road. Some essentials worth storing in your vehicle in case of emergencies include the following:^[15]

• Jumper cables
• Flashlight and batteries
• Drinking water and nonperishable food
• Portable phone charger/power bank
• Blankets
• First-aid kit
• Sun protection items such as sunscreen
• Automotive fuses
• Tools
• Duct tape

10. Plan Your Route Before You Leave

Planning your route before you leave for a summer driving trip can help you determine which roads are closed or whether you’ll need to take detours. Avoid driving blind without looking at your route ahead of time, as needing to reroute after you’ve already gotten behind the wheel could distract you from the road and increase the risk of an accident.

11. Increase Your Following Distance

Giving other cars in front of you the recommended three seconds of space — or six seconds in bad weather — is even more important in increased summer traffic.^[16] As more people take to the roads for summer driving, traffic could increase and lead to more erratic behavior due to lane merges, sudden stops and car issues that may result in accidents.

12. Put Away Distractions

Keep your phone out of your hands while driving and avoid eating while you’re on the road, saving distractions for once you’ve reached your destination or safely pulled over to a parking lot or rest stop. The average person takes roughly five seconds to look at their phone when sending or receiving a text, which, when driving at 55 mph, is effectively like traveling the length of a football field blindfolded.^[17]

Even if traffic seems steady, an unexpected stop from the car in front of you or a sudden obstacle, such as a deer jumping into the road, could result in an accident.

13. Slow Down During Summer Storms

You should drive slower than the speed limit during summer storms, as rainwater can reduce traction on your tires and cause you to skid while braking or even hydroplane. Slow your car by about one-third of your normal driving speed to account for this loss of traction.^[18]

Heavy rain and other stormy weather can also reduce your visibility, so driving slower and paying close attention to your surroundings to spot potential obstacles and pedestrians can help you avoid a collision.

14. Never Leave Children or Pets in a Vehicle

Your car’s cooling system may also struggle in the heat, increasing the risk of heat-related illness. This is especially dangerous for children, whose body temperatures rise three to five times faster than those of adults.^[19] Pets should also never be left in vehicles, even when parked in the shade with the windows cracked.

Even in moderate weather, internal cabin temperatures can spike quickly — transitioning from 85 degrees outside to 120 degrees inside in as little as 30 minutes — so never leave children or pets unattended in a parked vehicle.^[20]

15. Review Your Insurance and Roadside Assistance Coverage

Check your insurance to ensure your policy meets your current coverage needs. For example, it may be worth considering adding physical damage protection through comprehensive and collision coverage to avoid paying for costly repairs to your car. It may also be worth reviewing your coverage limits and deductible.

Before heading out on a summer road trip, check whether your car insurance will cover you for the entire journey. If you have a U.S. policy, your coverage typically follows you on short-term trips anywhere in the country, and most policies also extend to Canada.^[21] However, coverage generally doesn’t apply in Mexico, so if you plan to drive across the border, you may need to purchase Mexican tourist auto insurance.^[22]

You should also consider the benefits of roadside assistance coverage, which can help with towing and other emergency services if you experience a breakdown or flat tire while driving in summer. Roadside assistance may come packaged with your car insurance, be available as an optional endorsement or be a separate policy.

Quick Summer Driving Checklist

Below is a brief checklist of what to keep in mind when taking to the road this summer:

• Perform car maintenance
• Check your car insurance
• Check the route ahead of time
• Pack an emergency supplies kit
• Get plenty of rest before your trip
• Pack water and hydrating snacks
• Plan to take frequent breaks roughly every two hours

Why Summer Driving Can Be More Dangerous Than You Think

Summer driving may come with some added risks compared to the rest of the year. Take precautions when driving during the summer months, as increased traffic, construction, heat and inexperienced drivers could increase the risk of an accident.

Heavier Vacation Traffic

More drivers are on the road during summer vacation months, which can raise the risk of accidents.^[23] Summer holidays like Memorial Day — the unofficial start to summer — and Independence Day are also associated with higher rates of alcohol-related driving fatalities than the annual average, and more traffic from drivers looking to take advantage of their summer days off could increase the risk of an accident.^[24][25]

Road Construction Season

Road construction season peaks during the summer due to more ideal weather conditions, which can lead to traffic delays, road closures and detours. Navigating road construction can be distracting and dangerous for drivers, who may also face increased traffic due to lane closures and changing traffic patterns.^[23]

More Teen Drivers on the Road

Teen drivers with less experience behind the wheel may be on the roads more often during summer break, which could lead to more reckless driving. Teen drivers are involved in crashes nearly four times as often as those aged 20 or older, so an influx of younger drivers may make the roads riskier.^[26]

Extreme Heat

Heat can damage your vehicle as well, sometimes leading to costly repairs or breakdowns that may cause an accident. For instance, high temperatures can melt or degrade rubber belts and hoses — including those that support the steering system.^[27]

Summer Driving Tips at a Glance

Below is a brief overview of essential summer driving tips:

• Ensure you’ve kept up with regular car maintenance, such as checking tire pressure, brake lights, vehicle fluids, battery and engine
• Review your route in advance and check for needed detours to avoid construction areas and traffic bottlenecks
• Pack an emergency roadside kit with essentials, like flashlights, first aid supplies, water and battery backups for cellphones
• Stay hydrated and avoid driving while fatigued by taking frequent breaks
• Don’t leave children or pets unattended in your vehicle for any length of time to prevent hot car deaths and illnesses
• Slow down during traffic and poor weather conditions
• Check your insurance policy to ensure you’re up to date on coverage

How To Make Sure Your Car Is Covered Before a Summer Road Trip

Check your insurance policy to ensure you have any mandatory state coverage, and consider adding optional coverages like roadside assistance or physical damage insurance. To get the most affordable rates, shop around and get quotes from three to five different insurance companies. You’ll need to provide information about your location, age, driving history and annual mileage to each insurer when getting quotes, which can make the process tedious.

Speed things up to reach summer driving sooner by using an insurance marketplace like SmartFinancial. After answering a brief questionnaire, we’ll connect you with a licensed insurance agent to help you get the coverage you need. Click here for free car insurance quotes today!