May it be a vacation with friends or family or a long office trip; long highway driving is inevitable from our routine. But most of the time we head unprepared & witness hardships that can easily be avoided. We bring you a small checklist of all the do's & don'ts for a safe & comfortable long highway driving.
Preparing your car and yourselves is a big task before heading for a long driving schedule over the highway. A safe & comfortable journey is often turned down into a bad experience due to small negligence's.
To avoid such a bad experience we present to you a small checklist of all the do's & don'ts for a comfortable experience.
ALL THE DO'S...
- CAR - Make sure your car is well prepared for the journey you're heading to. Get your car well serviced before a long highway drive & if you've already serviced the car then get it checked once by a certified technician.
Make sure all the fluid levels are topped up, tyres & brakes are in their best shape. All the electricals should be working properly & if you notice a small fuse or any light not working; get it replaced immediately.
From wipers to AC, everything must be in top-notch shape to tackle any type of undulations in circumstances.
Leave the "I'll address once I come back" attitude while preparing the car for a long journey. - YOU - Make yourselves healthier. Not just for a single long drive but in the long run, it helps you achieve mental composition which is required a lot over the highways.
A healthy mind equates to good reflexes & positive judgments which makes up good under unfavorable situations for you. Strong reflexes can prevent you from unwanted or unprepared mishaps.
Make sure to be well aware of the road & the journey by researching it thoroughly. "I know the route" attitude makes up in some really bad decisions.
If possible conduct a small survey between your family & friends about the route, your itinerary; further ask for suggestions & keep the good ones with you.
Make sure to eat good over the highways to retain your best physical as well as mental composition.
- ROUTE - It is very much possible that you'll find yourselves traveling over a similar long route quite a few times. This does not mean that you know the route best.
Always retain the negative experiences from the road & imply them over the journey you're about to start. This will help you to be prepared for the negative you've experienced in the past.
Small research which may include the pit stops, the rest areas, the mechanics & all the food joints; is a must before heading over any type of long highway travel.
While covering long distances in a single day, try to keep a consistent speed. For example, hovering around 80-90 kmph will not make you tired as compared to a fluctuating 80-120 kmph speed barrier. Consistent & slow pace means more safety, comfort along with less tiredness.
AND THE DON'TS....
- CAR - No matter how well you know the car, never underestimate the fact that it can break down any time without warning. It is not necessary to be well aware of every mechanical fault but being prepared for such situations is the best you can do.
Make sure you don't leave the basic tool kit behind. You shall be well aware of the basic repairing such as replacing a fuse, fixing a punctured tyre, or jump-starting with a dead battery.
Also, don't drive the car over the limits of the road, you & even the machine itself. Even if you know the stretch, remain calm & composed rather than exploiting the engine for no reason. Remember you've to reach somewhere. Right? - YOU - Don't be irresponsible a day before the journey day. Try not to eat anything unwanted that can cause physical problems on the way. Also, try not to drink a night before a long journey as it'll distort your reflexes on the journey day as well as make you lethargic on the way.
While over the highway, make regular stops according to your comfort zone. Make sure you stop at regular intervals as this will help you to get a regular bodily movement & hence cutting down the car cabin claustrophobia.
Whenever hungry try not to eat too much. Eating too much will end up making the metabolism slow down & further making you drowsy over the road. Eat less than the actual requirement of the body to keep yourself active.
Don't remain dehydrated. The more your drink water the more your metabolism of the body remains active. This might sound a small portion to note but factually water will make your reflexes strong & lead to positive driving decisions. - ROAD - Las but not least; remain calm & composed over the road. No matter how well aware you're of the environment, there are situations such as road rage which happen for no reason.
Don't get angry or hyper in such incidences. keep your cool & deal with a positive mindset because that is the only thing that can get you out safely from such situations.
In case of an accident don't panic & never try to run away. Face the situations with a cool mindset & indulge in legal actions as soon as possible. Don't stand over the road trying to negotiate the wrongdoings.
Don't indulge with locals for no reason. Going through rural or sub-urban areas needs patience. Passing through such townships make sure you drive under the speed limit & look twice before crossings.
Avoid driving at night. Try to cover the distance in the daylight as much as possible. Distance covered in daylight will be less tiring & safer than night driving. Also, during night travel you're bound to get very less options in case of any type of emergency.
And yes, do not Overspeed, do not drive rash, do not drink & drive.
We hope you liked our checklist about the preparation for long highway driving. Do tell us about your thoughts by commenting below.
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