For some of us, it’s that time of year again. Suddenly, we have more passengers in our car than usual. On our way to work, or on our way from work, we’re shuttling our kids – and maybe the neighbor’s kids – to school. That’s right. Back to school doesn’t just mean back to school shopping. For some parents, it means back to school driving and picking up your kids from after school activities.

Well, whatever your situation is, we at Moran Family of Brands think that this is probably a good time to offer some back-to-school carpool safety suggestions. There’s certainly never a bad time to think about car safety. So if your car is more full than ever, remember these safety tips.

Buckle up. You probably don’t need any convincing that seatbelts save lives, but just in case your passengers do, the statistics make a good argument. According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belt use saved an estimated 14,668 lives in 2016. And something to remember if you’re driving around neighborhood kids, especially teenagers who feel invincible: your kids may know how you feel about seatbelts, but does that neighborhood kid know – the one who lives four houses down and is now in the backseat, squashed in the middle of your kids? Remind everyone – buckle up!

Check lights and wipers. The days are going to be shorter (that is, darker) soon, and eventually, it’ll be colder. If you haven’t done it lately, this would also be a good time to make sure your lights and wipers are working properly. If they aren’t, you’ll want to get replacements. Just think about the last time you drove in the rain without wipers that worked well. Remember how much fun that was?

So, yes, make sure those wipers – and lights – are working well.

Have your brakes inspected. We don’t need to tell you brakes are important. But we will remind you that if you haven’t had them inspected in a long while, you may want to ask someone at Milex Complete Auto Care to take a look. But if nothing else, watch out for the signs that you might have trouble. If your brake pedal feels “spongy,” that can be a clue that your brakes are in need of repair. If your brake pedal vibrates, you will need to get your brakes replaced now. If you’re hearing noise or squeaking when applying the brake, that, too, is a bad sign of things to come. If that’s the case, your brake pads need replacing, and if you don’t replace them soon, you could damage other parts of the brakes.

Check your tires. How’s the tire pressure? You can check the thread by using the old penny in your pocket trick. You take a penny and place it with Lincoln’s head down, in the tread groove. If you can see all of President Lincoln’s head, you should head over to Milex to get your tires replaced.

You may want to get a collision avoidance camera. If you have a lot of little kids in your household or in your neighborhood, and if your car doesn’t already have camera technology that allows you to see what’s behind you, as you back up, you may want to get something like that. Head on over to your local AltaMere the Automotive Outfitters to see the latest collision avoidance technology options for your car.

The start of the school year means more children on sidewalks, by neighborhood bus stops and in drop off lanes by schools. This is a good time to ensure your car is safe not only for you but others around your vehicle.