Check your tires before going on a long travel, authorities advised motorists who will trek to the provinces this Halloween.

This, as Bobby Bontia, vice president for Toll Operations of the Tollways Management Corp., said blown tires have been one of the major causes of accidents at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx).

Last month, 4.95 percent of the 222 vehicular accidents at the NLEx were caused by a blown tires.

It was learned that the incident of blown tires is even higher at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. TMC is involved in the operation and maintenance of the NLEx, SCTEx, and Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEx).

“Please don’t try to go on a long trip with a worn out tire. They will surely blow up, especially in the fast-paced expressways,” Bontia said.

Daisy Jacobo, chief of the Traffic Safety Division of the LTO, earlier warned that worn out tires as well as so-called “recapped” tires are only good for short distance and slow travel as they may catapult when used in the expressways where motor vehicles travel at a fast pace.

Jacobo said some motor vehicles, especially trucks with recapped tires have figured in accidents in the expressways because such tires allegedly blow up as they could not withstand high speed pace.

According to Wikipedia, “tires that are fully worn can be re-manufactured to replace the worn tread in a process known as retreading or recapping.”

Jacobo said it is still best to buy new and sturdy tires to be safe while on the road.

According to the traffic safety expert, motorists on a long travel should carefully plan on how to go on their trips.

“They say that ‘Undas’ (All Saints’ Day) is a yearly trek so this means that this would not be a walk in the park. So prepare yourself, prepare your passengers, and prepare your vehicle for your trip,” Jacobo said.

Before hitting the road, motorists should remember the acronym B-L-O-W-B-A-G-A.

“Have a pre-trip inspection. Check your car's B-attery, L-ight, O-il, W-ater, B-rake, A-ir, G-as, and A-ccessories (early warning device (EWD), emergency light).”

Jacobo said, motorists should make sure that they have flashlights, and spare parts particularly sparkplug and fan-belt, which may snap during the trip.

“Designated drivers should be fit for the trip since drivers that are under the weather may have impaired driving because of sleep-inducing cough syrup or cold tablets they could be taking for medication. Of course, driving under the influence of alcohol is always no-no,” she stressed.

She advised that at least two drivers should interchange every two hours of driving, to prevent fatigue from setting in.

For those who would be bringing kids particularly those below six-years-old during the trip, Jacobo advised that they’d be seated at the middle part of the car and never on the seat beside the driver’s.

“The safest for a kid to be seated is in the middle portion of the middle part of the car,” Jacobo said.

Jacobo said motorists going on a long trip or even during ordinary days should bring lots of patience with them to avoid road rage especially since “everybody is in a hurry.”

“Psyche yourselves to understand others. Have your mind set of giving allowances for mistakes done by other motorists,” she said.