Planning on doing some solo long distance driving? These Five tips can help you get there safely, comfortably and relatively trouble-free.
Planning on doing some solo long distance driving? These Five tips can help you get there safely and comfortably.
If you’re taking a long road trip, you need to plan in advance. And we’re not just talking about packing. “Highway hypnosis” is quite common when you haven’t prepared for the endurance demands of an extended haul.
With that in mind, you should take steps to prepare for long drives before you get behind the wheel—and to stay alert and energised throughout your trip. These tips for long drives will help you down the road (no pun intended).
1. Stay Hydrated
Keeping your hydration levels up will help you maintain your concentration and your alertness. Granted it may result in more service-stops but it's a small price to pay! Quite simply put, your efficiency in virtually every area is affected when you're dehydrated, and this is a time to remain alert and focused at all times. Don't risk it!
2. Plan Your Stops Well in Advance
A good rule of thumb is to make a rest-stop roughly every 2 hours, which means assuming you're not hitting heavy traffic, every 120-140 miles or so. If you can, have a browse of the map beforehand and try to identify the stations you'll take a break at before you leave. Yes you could wing it and just pullover when you're tired, but you could experience closures!
3. Get some Podcasts on the go
Driving for hours at a time might seem monotonous, but you can easily utilise this time productively! There are virtually thousands of free Podcasts available on a range of subjects, why not get a few on the go whilst your driving? Choose wisely and you may even end up learning a thing or two... not exactly a bad way to spend your time on the road!
We've recently come up with 5 of our favourite podcasts, why not have a browse and see if they take your fancy?
4. Use Chewing Gum
The repetitive process of chewing gum will increase your blood circulation and alertness, quite handy when you're sat virtually motionless for hours on end! Plus it can help stop you from going into auto-pilot. Driving is a behaviour we experience on a regular basis that is very repetitive, so the tendency to slip into auto-pilot is considerable. Anything you can do to keep as alert and active as possible is definitely worth your time!
5. Stock Your Sleep Time
Obviously getting a good nights sleep before a long drive is certainly recommended, but getting 7-8 hours 2 nights in a row beforehand is better advice! If you're settled into a decent sleeping pattern beforehand, the monotony of driving long distance is less likely to make you feel drowsy. Sleep is incredibly important at the best of times!
