Is your car ready for a long-distance road trip? Are YOU ready for a long-distance trip? It’s not as simple as getting in the car and hitting the gas. Long trips can be exhausting even without common hiccups travelers may experience. If you’re planning a long-distance trip, here are some tips to help prepare yourself and your car.
Plan Your Route
Familiarize yourself with your route before you hit the road. If you’re using a GPS or maps app on your phone, preview the route and take notice of alternative routes. The fastest route isn’t automatically the best one to take. There may be significant delays due to traffic or construction that the app doesn’t account for.
Check the interstate road conditions online before you start your trip, especially if you’re traveling somewhere new.
Limit Drive Time
Decide ahead of time how many miles you want to travel each day and where and when you’ll need to take breaks. If only one person is driving, try to avoid driving more than six to eight hours in one day. When you share the driving, the total driving time should not be more than 10 or 11 hours. You should take breaks every two to three hours and give yourself time to eat meals while stopped. Eating while driving is a big distraction.
Drive at a Safe Time
Many of us assume driving at night is the safest because there are fewer cars on the road. In reality, night is the most dangerous time to drive.
Service Your Vehicle
Make sure your car is in tip-top shape before beginning your long trip. Check the following a few days before your trip so you have time to get your car fixed if it needs repairs:
- Tires: check inflation, condition of the tires, balance and alignment
- Windshield wiper blades
- Lights
- Brakes for wear and/or adjustment
- Engine compartment for oil, radiator, transmission and windshield wiper fluids
- Belts and hoses for wear
Check out our free Driver Resources center for easy-to-follow car maintenance guides.
Pack an Emergency Kit
You should always travel with an emergency kit, even when you’re driving short distances. You should beef up your emergency kit before heading out on a long trip. Here are some things you might want to include in your emergency kit:
- External battery pack to charge your phone
- A little cash just in case
- A paper map-this is handy if for some reason your technology fails
- Flashlights
- First-aid kit (make sure nothing in your kit is expired!)
- Tools (e.g., screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable-end wrench, socket set)
- Spare tire with good tire pressure
- Equipment for changing a flat tire (e.g., jack, lug wrench, wheel block)
- Jumper cables in case your battery dies
- Tow line
- Extra water and high-energy snacks
- Winter weather supplies when needed (e.g., window scraper, tire chains, shovel, traction material (such as cat litter or sand) and warm clothing
Don’t Over Pack
Be careful not to overload your vehicle. Pack the heaviest items in the bottom of your trunk and put lighter objects in a car-top carrier if you have them. Check your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s load capacity. Keep in mind that adding too much weight to your vehicle will impact your steering and your vehicle’s balance.
If you stack suitcases and luggage on the back seat or behind it, make sure you can still see the road behind you.
Backup Plan
Things don’t always go the way we want them to on a trip, so it’s important to have a backup plan. Ask yourself what potential situations you could find yourself in and how you can prepare yourself to handle them before you start out. What would you do, for example, if you lost your keys or got a flat tire? Take some time before your trip to write out your emergency plan. This way, you’ll be prepared if trouble arises.
We hope you’ll keep these tips in mind the next time you’re planning a long trip! Want to brush up on your driving skills before you hit the road? Check out our online driver safety courses. You may even be able to get a discount on your auto insurance by taking one of our courses!