In collaboration with Kwik Fit
Having been on many road trips during my life, both as a
driver and passenger, I have found the best way to have a fun experience and
enjoy the journey is in a relaxing and safe environment.
There are a few simple and easy measures you can take to ensure you and your car arrive at your destination in one piece. There’s a huge number of precautions you can take, below I have listed 6 that I find useful, there are many more besides these.
Many drivers rely on their phones to use their sat nav or
GPS on their phones to help navigate to their destination.
In a Kwik Fit survey, 19% of the surveyed drivers admitted that they sometimes take calls while driving, 17% admit that they read texts off of their phone, and 12% send texts. All of these reasons (including using your sat nav) can result in a penalty if the police pull you over and find that it was distracting you.
You can read more about Kwik Fit’s research into Mobile Phone safety usage findings and initiatives here.
1. Plan your route before you go
Ahead of the road trip, go online to a journey mapping
service like Google Maps or Waze and plan which route you will take and the duration
of the journey, including any bathroom rest stops. Looking ahead at cafes, restaurants and shops
for food breaks are useful to know in advance and will provide comfort on the
way for the driver and passengers.
2. Leave plenty of time to reach your destination
Arguably one of the biggest factors. Don’t be rushing to get
to your destination. Being tempted to drive erratically or above the speed
limit is a guaranteed way to put a dampener on spirits and put you and your
passengers in a bad mood. Set off in plenty of time. If the journey is
estimated to take a number of hours, leave with extra time to allow for delays,
breaks and any unforeseen events. By removing the potential stress of not
arriving on time, the journey can be enjoyed and not rushed. A chilled out
atmosphere is the aim.
3. Take regular breaks
Taking scheduled breaks will help you avoid tiredness,
fatigue and your eyes closing whilst behind the wheel. If possible, switch
drivers with other people in the vehicle, that way everyone has chance to
unwind as a passenger in addition to having the satisfaction of being in charge
of the vehicle and taking everyone to their end destination.
4. Use a helpful sat nav app like Waze
Real time satellite navigation services such as Waze are
brilliant. They are updated in current time by other users on the roads. This
means they show traffic along the route in current time and provide alternative
routes as soon as traffic jams ahead are known; to help you reach your
destination quicker. I can’t express how great this free to use app is.
5. Put your phone or sat nav in an appropriate holder
When you first get in your car, set up your phone or sat nav
in an appropriate holder, somewhere that it is clearly visible without having
to move your gaze too much. Don’t wait until you have started moving to do
this.
Ensure your phone is connected via Bluetooth or cable and
isn’t rolling around in the centre console and causing a distraction to your
driving.
6. Finish your phone activites before you start driving
Complete any urgent calls or send messages before you get in your car to clear your mind of distractions. Have your playlist pre-planned and ready to play through before you set off. This will ensure you don’t get distracted or tempted to start choosing music whilst behind the wheel. Tell people who are likely to call that you are going to be driving, in advance, so the number of incoming phone calls is reduced to a minimum.
Kwik Fit have created a game to test your reaction times called Driven to Distraction, have a go and test out your reaction times.
Do you have any other travel tips to ensure road trips are safe and go smoothly?
