The end of the road? There’s no such thing! Americans traveled 256.5 billion miles in their vehicles in April 2021.
You can go on a road trip whenever you want and travel to any part of the country. But you shouldn’t jump behind the steering wheel just yet. You need to know about road trip safety so you have a smooth trip to your destination.
What should you do to prepare for a road trip? How should you behave during the trip? How can you stay healthy on the road?
Answer these questions and you can have the trip of your dreams in no time. Here are five great road trip safety tips.
1. Fix Your Car
Your car can break in a number of ways during your road trip. Your engine can overheat, your brakes could fail, and your tires may rupture.
You should always do a thorough evaluation of your car before you take a road trip. If you need to make repairs, you can make them yourself, but you should ask a professional to check your work. If you can’t make repairs by yourself, you should take your car to a repair shop.
You can try RV travel if your car needs extensive repairs. But make sure you know how to operate an RV, which can be bulkier than a car.
2. Plan Your Route
You can type your destination into an app and follow the instructions it gives you. But you should check the route the app plans on taking you on. You may drive through high-traffic areas or places that are not safe.
You should plan out alternate routes in case the weather becomes bad or it is too dark to see. Look at locations where you can park for the night or get a room at a motel.
3. Stay Healthy and Energized
The night before your road trip, you should get at least eight hours of sleep. As you are packing your bags, you should drink plenty of water so you don’t get dehydrated.
You should pull over and stretch your legs every few hours to avoid deep vein thrombosis. If you need to take a nap, you should so you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel.
4. Keep Alert as You Are Driving
Never stop looking in your mirrors and scanning your surroundings. You should be on the lookout for potholes, objects in the roadway, and speeding cars.
Practice defensive driving and avoid all threats to you. If there is a speeding driver on your left, you should let them pass. Get off the road if you ever feel unsafe or think that someone is following you.
5. Prepare Alternatives
Your road trip destinations may be closed due to emergencies. You should think about alternate places you go to so you aren’t bored in your destination city. Many art attractions are open to the public for free, and you can go to them by yourself.
Understand Road Trip Safety
Road trip safety isn’t complicated. You should check your car and make all repairs you need before you hit the road. Pick a route, but prepare alternatives in case the weather changes.
Get plenty of sleep and drink a couple of glasses of water to avoid fatigue and dehydration. Remain vigilant on the road and inspect your blind spots to avoid accidents. Once you get to your destination, check to see that the attractions you want to visit are open.
Road trips are trickier than they seem. Read more road trip guides by following our coverage.
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