If you are planning on driving long distances, whether for work or leisure, you must stay alert and safe. If you do not, you could potentially endanger yourself and others.
Thankfully, several proven ways of staying more alert when embarking on long journeys exist.
Here are some helpful tips that you should take note of.
Get Plenty of Sleep the Night Before a Long-distance Journey
When driving long distances, it is easy to become fatigued or distracted. But that can lead to inattention on the road, which, in turn, can potentially lead to dangerous accidents.
That is often why so many truck drivers end up in accidents each year – when they do not get enough sleep and drive too long without a break, they are more likely to cause accidents.
Indeed, in Minnesota alone, in 2017, over 4,3000 truck accidents resulted in 1,300 injuries and 60 fatalities.
Injured parties can contact Minnesota truck accident lawyers at NicoletLaw.com to claim compensation after a truck accident. But, of course, it is best to avoid being injured in a truck accident or any other type of road accident.
So, if you are driving long distances like truck drivers regularly do, ensure you get enough sleep the night before the day of your journey to stay alert and safe.
When you remain wide awake and alert, you can ensure you do not cause any accidents and be ready to respond quickly should another driver create potentially dangerous situations.
Get between seven and nine hours of sleep the night before any long-distance road trip to ensure you are alert while driving.
Take Regular Breaks from Driving
You can also stay alert and safe on the road by taking regular breaks from driving during your long-distance trip.
It is best to stop for around twenty minutes every two hours in order to stretch, splash some water on your face and feel fresh.
You will be much more alert and focused for the next stretch of driving.
It is best to plan your route before you set off so that you can factor rest stops into your schedule.
Share the Driving
If you are traveling with one or more passengers, sharing the driving workload is an excellent idea.
Just make sure other designated drivers are insured to drive the vehicle before you head off on your long-distance journey.
Cutting down the driving time can help you stay fresh and relaxed, and you will be more focused and alert for the next driving stint.
So, share the driving responsibility with someone else.
Stay Hydrated
A straightforward method for staying alert and safe on long-distance trips, which is often overlooked, is to drink lots of water.
When you remain hydrated, you will be less fatigued. In turn, you can maintain a high level of focus on the road.
So, always pack water bottles when heading on a long journey. And you can always refill water bottles or buy water during rest stops.
Play Loud Music
Turning up the volume of your music can help you stay awake.
Just make sure that the music you play is up-tempo.
You might even like to sing along while you are driving.
Playing loud music can be a great way of boosting your energy and happiness. So, organize some top tunes before you embark on your long journey.
