Sadly, it happens too frequently. Recently in the news, a disabled car left a retired couple stranded in an isolated area of the Nevada desert. After several days, the elderly husband died of exposure, and his barely-alive wife was finally rescued two weeks later.

This kind of tragedy happened frequently from covered wagon days to the invention of the mobile phone a century later. However, with the availability of inexpensive cell phones today, no isolated travelers should have to suffer such a tragic fate. If you’re planning a summer road trip, especially if it will involve long stretches of wilderness, first do a thorough check-up to see that your car is in shape to handle all possibilities.

Then, throughout the journey, keep a well-charged smartphone handy in case of an emergency. For more complete security, your car and/or smartphone should give constantly updated GPS info for any unexpected traffic situation that might happen ahead of you.