5 Things to Avoid When Driving Long Distance*

The summer holidays are coming to an end and we’re rolling into the bank holiday weekend. The roads are going to be busy most days due to people heading away for a last minute break before school starts or coming back at the end of the summer. Some families travel miles to camp, attend festivals or even visit family and once you get out of the cities the scenery can look the same for miles on end. It’s easy to start feeling tired, or the kids to start getting bored. Today I’ve put together 5 things to avoid while driving long distance to help you have the most comfortable and safest journey possible;

Drive While Tired
The biggest no-no while driving long distance is letting yourself get tired while behind the wheel. Heck they have huge billboards telling you that tiredness kills. One second of lost concentration can be that difference between life and death so it really isn’t worth the risk. Car Leasing Specialist Rosedale Leasing explored the issue and found that crashes caused by fatigue are more common in the early hours morning and statistics show that those most at risk from a fatigue-related collision include young male drivers, shift workers, truck drivers and company car drivers. A whopping 85% of the drivers who cause these collisions are male and one third are under 30. The High Way code offers some advice to avoid tired related crashes including planning for breaks during long distance drives, avoid certain medications that can delay your reactions and avoiding all alcohol.

Drive Non Stop
Along with driving while tired, another cause of collisions is not taking a break. As mentioned above the scenery on a cross country can get monotonous a lapse of attention for even one second can be dangerous. Take a break, use the bathroom, stretch your legs it’ll help. The High Way Code recommends you take a 15 minute break every 2 hours. In the UK there are rest stops scattered up and down the main roads where you can pull in, grab a drink and take a short walk to get your head back into the game.

Let the Kids Fight It Out
Nothing is more distracting than the kids going to war with each other in the back seat and you having to shout back to them constantly to stop the screaming. You want to be safe on the road especially when you have your kids in the car but sometimes keeping them quiet is the hardest thing about a long distance drive, especially if you’re the only one in the car. If they start to fight pull over and make sure everything is solved before starting again. Make sure you have enough to keep them entertained, ipads, books, playing car games. One of the best things my parents used to do when I was a child was play an audio book for us all to listen to and discuss. Make sure everything they need is within reach such as drinks and snacks and if they need the bathroom make sure you pull in as soon as you can to avoid the desperate annoyance that could lead to a fight with a sibling.

Eat On The Road
I’m not talking about a little snack that can be held in one hand and takes a couple of seconds to consume, I’m talking about getting a drive through and eating a whole meal on the road. One that will require you taking your eyes off the road to grab a handful of chips or have you feeling around for your drink or where you need two hands to hold a burger. It might seem like a good idea at the time but your concentration will be split between your meal and the road and in those few seconds anything can happen. Build your meals into your breaks while driving long distance. If you have a small family pull into a cafe or even take a detour into a town and have a walk around to break the journey up.

Speed
Finally, don’t speed. Although this seems like a no brainer, the temptation to put your foot down on the motorways to take time off your journey might be there, but it’s not worth it.

As a child, I loved long distance journeys but I bet my parents didn’t, however it might just be the best way to get to your destination. Hopefully these few reminders will keep you safe on the road.