Planning to sleep in your car? Maybe you were in a rough spot or taking a road trip. Regardless of the reason, it is extremely important to be prepared when spending the night in your vehicle. Remember four important precautions you should take when sleeping in your car!

4 Precautions to Take if You Plan to Sleep in Your Car

1. Park in the right area

You can’t park your car in any parking lot or place. Technically, you can but you run the risk of someone knocking on your window. They could be asking you to move or worse. To avoid these mishaps, park somewhere that is open 24 hours or is at a rest stop. Do not park in a spot that singles your car out by it being the only vehicle in the area. You can even park on residential streets as long are you are respectful and private. Just be aware of your area to prevent yourself from running into criminal activities.

2. Find privacy for yourself

By sleeping in your car out in public, you are giving up some of your privacy. However, this does not mean that people should be able to look into the window and watch you sleep. If you have options, sleeping in a car that has tinted windows should be your first choice. If that is not an option, you could use tarp or sheets to cover up the windows. Even garbage bags could suffice. Either way, you can shield the world out to an extent to help give you privacy. It will help you be able to sleep better too!

3. Have personal belongings in reach

It is important to make sure you have everything you need in the car. You don’t want to be caught ready to go to sleep and find out that you don’t have a pillow, blanket, or sleeping bag for the night. Likewise, you do not want to go to a restroom in the morning to get ready and discover you do not have your toothbrush or razor. Ensuring that you have everything you may need can include having snacks in the car in case if you wake up in the middle of the night hungry. Overall, have routine items nearby.

4. Make sure the car is good to go

Finally, the last precaution to take is to make sure your car is all set to go. Do you have enough gas in case if you need to move the car or turn it on for air conditioning or heat? Does the air conditioning or heat work? Can you drive to nearby necessities like stores or bathrooms? Are your tires filled with the amount of air they need? Your car needs to be ready to operate for any requirement you may have for it. The last thing you need is to be stranded or without heat on a cold night.

Be safe and car smart!