Summer is almost over but there is still time to get on the road and take that much needed road trip. If you are traveling the roads with children try to remember the essentials that may make your trip much easier:

• Snacks and drinks are a must have for any kind of road trip. Packing your own snacks and drinks allows you to save some money as well as time because you limit the amount of times you need to stop for food.
• Entertainment of some form. In our van we have a built in DVD player but we also have the kids bring additional items such as gaming systems like the Nintendo DS and their iPod for music.
•  Blankets and pillows. If your kids are like mine after about ten minutes in the car they are cold from the air conditioning or tired from the drive so having these items will allow your kids to be comfortable making the drive and trip much more manageable.

In addition to the items above for the kids it is important that you have some kind of protection while on the road in case of a break down and the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance is just what the doctor ordered.

Register for the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance on Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!

Here are a few things to know about the service:

• You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this service
• You only pay when you use it, there are no monthly fees
• Anyone can call at any time and use this service when needed by calling a 1-800 # and asking for roadside assistance

You can have a total of 5 drivers on your account, and also enter your credit card information if you wish. So if you enter your children’s information and they run into an issue on the road, they are set up so that all they need to do is call the number and it will be charged to you, and only for that use.

Remember safety while on the rode and being protected from an unforseen breakdown are extremely important so be sure to keep yourself protect with Allstate.

I was compensated to be an Good Hands Roadside Assistance member but the opinions in this post are my own.

Sabreena will be 16 very shortly which means she will be getting her driving permit and then license. I worry about everything under the sun when it comes to her driving, like distractions, other drivers and her breaking down on the side of the road with no assistance.

Thankfully I will no longer need to worry about one of those with the introduction of Allstate’s Good Hands Roadside Assistance program, a new service offering pay as you go roadside assistance.

Here are a few things to know about the service:

• You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this service
• You only pay when you use it, there are no monthly fees
• Anyone can call at any time and use this service when needed by calling a 1-800 # and asking for roadside assistance

You also do not need to sign up beforehand, but there is a significant benefit in doing so. You can register for up to 5 users on your account, and also enter your credit card information if you wish. So if you enter your children’s information and they run into an issue on the road, they are set up so that all they need to do is call the number and it will be charged to you, and only for that use.

To me as a parent there is a lot of value in this service because now I only need to pay when I have a problem where with other services there are yearly fees involved as well as the repair costs.  To me this is a great money saving program which is great for me and my family.

It is very important to make sure your child is protected on the road in case of an emergency but it is also important that your child knows how important and how much of a responsibility it is to be behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Kids these days think driving is a right but in my opinion it is a privladge.  I know in my daughter’s school they take a drivers education class but for me that is not enough and I plan to sit her down and talk about the importance of safe driving and why it is so important and I feel ALL parents need to do this.  Today kids have so many distractions like the radio, friends in the car, text, phone calls which just adds to the dangers of driving.

Kids need to understand that traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens with nearly one-third of them alcohol-related and driving needs to be taken seriously.  At least with the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance program I have one less worry as a parent of a soon to be new driver.

If you have a child that is about to start driving soon are you talking to them about the important of safe driving?

I was compensated to be an Good Hands Roadside Assistance member but the opinions in this post are my own.