As a single mother, you already have many challenges in your life. You’re playing the role of both parents and this is not an easy task for anyone. Now if you’re planning road travels, you need to be fully prepared. If you’re going to be the only adult in the vehicle, you want to be sure you are prepared for anything and everything that might happen.

So here are some tips for single mothers on the road:

Pack accordingly – Always pack extra clothes, snacks and emergency supplies in case something happens while on the road. You want to be sure if you ended up stranded for some time, you and your child will be ok.

Make sure car seats are safe and secure – Vehicles are very dangerous, especially in the event of a crash but if your child is in a car seat that is safe and installed correctly, the danger risk goes down dramatically. Don’t take a trip anywhere with your child unless you are confident safety seats and belts are working properly.

Have an emergency roadside plan – What will you do if your car breaks down? How will you get help and also care for your children? Will you be able to comfort your children and fix your car? Who will help you? How far away from home are you? An emergency roadside plan will help ensure you’re alright until help arrives or that you can fix your problem and keep on truckin’.

Have an emergency roadside kit – This kit will help you and your children in the event of an emergency. It might contain road flares, first aid items or vehicle-specific tools. Your emergency roadside kit is super important when you’re a single mom driving alone, no matter how far or short your driving distance.

Have emergency roadside assistance – With emergency roadside assistance, you won’t have to worry about getting stranded alone with your kids or random strangers wanting to help you. You don’t know who you can trust these days and it’s much safer to know that you have a service that will come get you or help you if something goes wrong with your car.

Always carry a cell phone – The fact is, cell phones are so cheap and easy these days, it just doesn’t make sense not to have one with you. Even if you don’t have a service plan, you can carry an old cell phone with you and it will still dial 911 for you in the event of an emergency.

With these tips, you can be safe while traveling on the road alone with your children.