Epic road trips are on most of our bucket lists.
What’s not to love with the thrill of being on the open road, discovering new towns/cities, eating awesome food, and experiencing cultures?
The dangers of traveling tend to be a reason people avoid road trips, though.
Don’t worry, follow these precautionary actions and you won’t have to worry one bit.
Get a tune-up
There are plenty of towns, cities, and pitstops you’ll find yourself at which shouldn’t cause too much worry about needing a prompt car repair. Yet, it’s never fun to find yourself stranded or taking on the extra costs you weren’t accounting in your travel budget.
Spend the $50-$150 for a tune-up to ensure the ignition system is good to go.
Get an inspection
Get a detailed inspection of the car while you’re at the shop for a tune-up.
The inspection will give you a heads up to fix or replace:
· Tires
· Brakes
· Wipers
· Seatbelts
· Headlights
· Signals
All things that are likely to go bad if they haven’t been replaced in some time. The last thing you’ll want is a blown-out tire with the next stop miles and miles away.
Get insured
You’ll want full car insurance coverage when you’re on the road for extended periods of time because you increase your risk of accidents every extra minute you’re on the road.
Shop around to find the best prices a few weeks before the trip. Change service and put the documents in the glove box. Else, use these quotes to negotiate better pricing with the company you have now.
Some car insurance companies will also offer roadside assistance as part of their package which is handy if you break down during the trip!
Get out and stretch
Traveling more than 4 hours places you at high risk of developing a blood clot. The clot will generally dissolve but there’s a chance it could break and cause an embolism – this means possible death.
Take advantage of the rest stops. Get out, stretch, and move around a few minutes.
Get an emergency kit
An emergency travel kit contains all the items you’d need to keep up with everyday activities.
Items going into this kit would include:
· Medications
· First-aid
· Toiletries
· Snacks/food
· Flashlight/batteries
· Documents
It’s a kit you won’t likely need to use but becomes incredibly valuable when you do.
Get some extra gas
Buy a 5-gallon gas can if you’re expecting to go off the beaten path.
Store this on the back of the truck. Else, use mounts if you’re riding in a car to prevent exposure to the harmful fumes. You can find vehicle mounts for under $30 on Amazon.
Get a GPS
The locals may know their way around but who knows if you can decipher their directions. The GPS of your phone is for getting around but don’t rely on it fully. Get a dedicated GPS for your vehicle in case you lose your phone during the trip.
Though, if you’re persistent on saving money and using your phone at least download the offline versions of the maps for when you’re in dead zones.
Get focused
Long stretches of the highway can put you in a lull.
It’s what they call “highway hypnosis”.
Regular breaks will help with this problem (and satisfy that need to stretch) while playing good tunes, keeping the windows down, and cranking down the AC would work. Playing trivia games or holding long conversations with a travel buddy will do it, too.
Remember to keep your hands on 10 and 2.
Use your scanning to stay alert and benefit from heightened awareness of other drivers.
Get to having fun
Don’t let scary statistics on driving prevent you from taking an epic road trip. Get on out there and have fun – roll with it – and be sure to document the journey. It’s an experience to last a lifetime!