Here are 10 helpful tips to ensure safety during long drives. Check them out!

Car drives aren’t as fun and exciting as people would portray it to be. It’s not as cheerful and carefree as commercials depict it. In fact, driving takes a lot of effort and vigilance because anything can happen on the road. Accidents, careless drivers and other mishaps will ultimately greet one unlucky driver if he is not aware of his surroundings and his personal attitude on the road.

In a person’s life on the road, long drives do not only consist of vacation trips and rendezvous. Sometimes it might entail a business trip that will take a toll to a person’s level of energy and strength. Driving every day in short distances wear people out how so when a person embarks in long drives? In this regard, Philkotse.com will discuss measures to keep you safe when beginning in one.

1. Never drive if you feel tired, hungry or sleepy

This is not an old man’s tale. Such conditions will increase your risks of being exposed to harm and dangers of the road. Tiredness will distract you from being focused and alert. When you are unable to keep your eyes on the road and be wary of the traffic signals and road inconsistencies, you're not just bringing yourself harm, but you are also endangering other people's lives and disturb the natural flow of traffic.

Tiredness will distract you from being focused and alert

2. Have a travel buddy

Having somebody to accompany you during weary hours of life behind the wheel can significantly impact your journey. As much as possible, choose someone that is familiar to the routes of your destination, someone you can freely converse with, or a person that can possibly take over the wheel for you. The important thing to ponder here is to have someone that can guide you and be with you in cases when you don’t feel confident about your driving capability.

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Having somebody to accompany you during weary hours of life behind the wheel can significantly impact your journey

3. Be prepared with your audio systems

If a trusty passenger isn’t available during the dates of your travel, pack up your audio essentials. Bring along your handy flash drive filled with the music of your choice. This is for you to sing along with and entertain yourself with. You can also download audio versions of your long-time no read books and take the opportunity to drown yourself in prose and poetry. At the same time, you can also opt to have downloaded versions of speeches, talk shows and pep talks that will inspire you and keep you informed during your long drive. Just make sure to tune it in a considerable volume as it can distract you from the noise signals on the road.

Bring along your handy flash drive filled with the music of your choice

4. Take a break when needed

We can never stress this enough, but driving breaks are essential when you’re on a long trip. Take the time to stretch your legs, grab a bite or relieve yourself when necessary. Before a long journey, make sure to be aware of where these stops are located. If you want to catch a quick nap, there are areas along the highway that offer a decent place to lie in and sleep.

5. Grab some sweeties on the road

A rush of sugar sweetness can help you in staying alert on the road. Take along some candy and chocolate bars with you while you are driving. The sugary goodness will give you a boost of energy while giving you something of a distraction. However, this doesn’t mean that you can eat a full-blown meal while you are driving if you feel hungry that a granola bar couldn’t fix it, head over to the nearest diner and enjoy a meal there.

6. Make sure the car is well-maintained before the trip

There's nothing more irritating than dealing with a busted car on the side of the road while you have to arrive at a particular time for that business meeting. To avoid this type of incidents, make sure to take your car to your dealer or a trusted service provider and have it checked up to see if it's up for the long run. If not, you can consider other options like riding public transportation than dealing with a major headache on the road.

Make sure to take your car to your dealer or a trusted service provider and have it checked up to see if it's up for the long run

7. Get enough sleep the night before

To avoid sleepiness, make sure to have a nice, cozy and interrupted sleep the night before your long journey. Your body needs to rest well, and sleeping is one of the best ways to do it. At the same time, it is recommended to start your long drive at around 7 or 8 in the morning. Do not drive from 1 to 3 in the afternoon because this is when the body naturally feels drowsy.  

8. Stock on fuel

Before leaving your home, make sure you checked the tank first for fuel contents and assess if you need to add or will it be enough to cover the journey. You wouldn’t want to be stuck in an area of nothingness where the nearest gas station is still 2 miles ahead.

9. Do a rain check first

Little do drivers know about this but a weather hazard can actually halt them in the middle of the journey and even expose them to natural disasters. At the same time, weather can affect their travel time either positively or negatively. It is vital to know what the weather is in store during your time of travel to see if it’s feasible to do so or postpone the drive at a later date.

10. Seatbelts on!

No matter where you are or what part of the country you’re driving in, follow the most basic security protocol of wearing seatbelts. It will minimize the impact of road accidents such as car crashes and many more.  

No matter where you are or what part of the country you’re driving in, follow the most basic security protocol of wearing seatbelts

If followed and done correctly, driving on such great lengths wouldn't be much of a hassle than before. It is essential to prepare yourself, your car and your belongings against any possibilities that might occur on the road. Preparation is the key to making sure you are safe and in cases of tragic moments, it will mitigate such horrendous effects. 

>>> Click to get more tips and advice for safe driving