How to stay alert and drive safely over long distances
Whether you think that you’re a pro when it comes to driving over longer distances, or the thought makes you a little nervous, there are essential tips that you should pay attention to in order to be as safe as possible on the road. This is particularly true when there are long weekends and school holidays, allowing many of us to seek rest and relaxation further away from home.
These are the best driving tips for longer distances, and they could very well save your life and the lives of your passengers.
Protect your peepers
Your eyesight is the most important sense that you use while driving. This seems obvious, but it’s surprising how many people ignore a few spots and blurry vision. Your eyesight has an intensely active function, requiring your eyes to continually move, adjust, receive, and process a constant flow of visual impressions, so don’t neglect this tip and make sure you look after your eyes while you drive.
Here’s what to do to protect your eyes while driving:
- Get tested: Before you set off, go for an eye test to make sure that your vision is functioning at its optimum… If you can’t see properly, you can’t drive properly.
- Fight the glare: In the 6 to 8 seconds that your eyes take to adjust to the sun’s glare, you’ll be driving blind… Which can be prevented by wearing sunglasses with UV protection.
- Night blindness: Make sure your headlights are clean and properly aligned, keep your windscreen and glasses clean (streak-free) inside and out, and if you wear lenses at night then make sure they have an anti-reflective coating to combat the ‘halo effect’ and increase the flow of light through the lens to the eye.
Combat driver’s fatigue
Don’t deny that you’re tired. Fatigue is 1 of the most deadly causes of accidents, especially during long-distance journeys. The best way to combat fatigue is to have a stockpile of anti-fatigue solutions.
Here’s what to do to combat driver’s fatigue:
- Make a playlist so you can listen to music, or a podcast. Silence can cause you to become drowsy, so if you don’t have a co-pilot to chat to, you’ll need to come up with your own entertainment.
- Pack a bag full of tasty, energy-providing snacks and don’t feast on sugary carbs because these could lead to a serious dip in energy later.
- Stay hydrated with water, which you can even add a few slices of lemon or cucumber to and give your drink that refreshing hit.
- Stop and stretch every 2 hours or even every hour and a half so that you can pump some oxygen into your blood and shake off any feelings of fatigue.
Be prepared
Anything can happen on a long distance journey. So, be prepared by researching your route, planning stops, making sure that your phone has enough data and battery (pack your car charger), and consider getting insurance that includes a roadside assist service to help you in case of emergencies, like engine or mechanical breakdowns, flat tyres, or a tow to the nearest approved garage.
Top insurers, like King Price, include this benefit at no extra cost with their comprehensive car insurance policies. That’s in addition to the decreasing premiums that you will enjoy with this option. There’s no catch… Your comprehensive car insurance premiums will decrease every single month in line with the depreciating value of your car.
Want more info? Click here for a quote, call the royal sales team on 0860 50 50 50, or send an email to [email protected]
Safety Advice For Long Distance Driving https://t.co/70lQBocA7U #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/zXbKzUatXI
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) January 3, 2016