This summer, 45% of Americans are planning to take to the roads during their vacation.  Choosing a road trip over domestic and international flights, they were looking forward to the increased flexibility and great value for money that exploring the country by car can offer them. Of course, road trips involve a lot of careful planning, but perhaps the most important element of any long car journey is ensuring you have a suitable vehicle in which to travel. Whether you’re hitting the highway for an epic trip with your family, or simply driving the kids to soccer practice, many new cars include innovations that offer increased safety, comfort and practicality that make any journey more pleasurable.

Saving Money With A New Family Car

Although a new family car can be a considerable expense, if you are planning on using it regularly for long vacations, the right vehicle can also be seen as an investment. New cars are built with increasing fuel efficiency and, together with a few money saving hacks such as using apps to help you save gas, or redeeming coupons for parts and accessories, taking road trips in a new vehicle could save you money in the long run. In addition, a car loan can help spread the initial outlay on an upgrade to your family car. Interestingly, a coupe car is becoming increasingly popular with families, mainly because it’s very specious, comfortable, but still has a sporty look which suits parents who are into adventure. 

Comfort and Entertainment for Everyone

However much you are all looking forward to a family road trip, long car journeys can still be boring and stressful. To keep the driver up to date with travel alerts and driving conditions, while simultaneously distracting and entertaining the passengers, an increasing number of cars now come with some innovative infotainment technology included as standard. For the driver, touch screen or even voice activated displays can control temperature and show navigation aids. Cars compatible with Apple’s Carplay or Android Auto can also display a phone’s applications on the vehicle’s screen with a simple interface designed to avoid distraction. Once you’ve all exhausted the limits of I Spy, music and audio books can distract your kids, while some cars have theater systems that allow you to show movies on rear screens. 

Reassuring Safety Features for Families

Many new cars come with safety packages with features such as automatic emergency braking, lane assist and forward collision warning as standard.  As well as offering reassurance that you and your family are safer, choosing a car with automatic seat belts and anti-lock brakes could also lower your insurance premiums. Another extra feature that can be added is drowsy driver monitoring, particularly useful on long journeys. Drowsiness can be picked up through input from the steering wheel or a lane monitoring camera. For more accurate detection, a camera on the driver’s face will spot if the driver’s eyes leave the road, other elements of distracted driving such as using a phone or eating, and yawning. Once you have safely reached your destination, young kids in the back will be excited to jump straight out of the car, however, with safe exit assist systems, an alarm will sound if they try to open the door when a vehicle is approaching. 

Road trips can be thrilling, offering excitement and flexibility while still remaining affordable.  With a comfortable vehicle suitable for a growing and adventurous family, long journeys can be enjoyed with minimal stress. The addition of innovative features keeps everyone safe and entertained and makes any trip, long or short, more enjoyable.