If you love long road trips, continuously driving for hours on end can seem like a challenge. However, with the right plan and preparation, it can be manageable. This guide provides the best ways to stay energized while behind the wheel and essential tips and tricks to make your journey as enjoyable as possible, whether driving cross-country or taking a road trip for the weekend.
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Benefits of Long Drives
Long drives offer an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and provide many benefits for your car. Below are some advantages of taking an extended drive:
- Keeps your car’s engine in good shape: By getting your vehicle on the road, you can ensure that all mechanical systems perform well and any minor issues are addressed promptly. It also allows you to check your brakes and tire pressure regularly, inspect all areas of your vehicle for any signs of wear or damage, and periodically offer fuel efficiency, which helps reduce the build-up of deposits in your engine and extend the life of oil changes, saving you money over time.
- Preserves the health of your tires: Continuous use and exposure to the elements can lead to premature wear and tear on tires, causing them to wear out faster and provide poor traction. Taking a long drive more often allows for relief from regular roads and minimizes wear on tires. Cruising on different surfaces like interstates or highways can also allow for greater dispersion of the impacts that are constantly hitting your tires, preventing them from wearing out faster in one area.
- Retains the charge on your battery: On top of the physical and psychological health effects, extended travels can maximize the life of your batteries. During a long drive, the car alternator has enough time to charge the battery fully, as it remains engaged in a constant driving loop. This is particularly important for vehicles driven regularly with short trips, in which the alternator cannot maintain a sufficient charge on the battery over time.
- Provides mental clarity: It allows people to take a break from their day-to-day obligations and acquire peace of mind. It’s the perfect time to think through complex problems or decisions that need to be made, as the natural sights and sounds on the journey can help take some of the pressure off and make it easier to view things from a new perspective.
- Offers a chance to travel somewhere new: It provides an opportunity to explore, learn, and grow. Seeing places, you don’t ordinarily visit can be a refreshing change of scenery and intellectually stimulating. You may feel more creative or inspired after exploring new terrain. Plus, you can observe different landscapes as you traverse the country, allowing you to gain unique experiences while on the road.
Staying Awake and Alert While Driving for Hours on End
Staying awake and alert while driving for hours can be challenging, but a few tips can make the task easier. These include:
- Never drive after drinking alcohol, even if you believe you’ve had only a minimal amount. It can make you less focused and sleepy while driving.
- Avoid traveling alone if possible. Having another person in the car can stave off drowsiness by providing conversation and helping the driver stay alert.
- Make sure to get enough rest before beginning any long-distance travel plans—not getting enough sleep beforehand will increase how tired you will become during your trip.
- Take breaks at least once every two hours when driving. This allows the driver to freshen up with some exercise or light stretching to stay conscious on their long drive.
What to Do When You Feel Drowsy While Driving
Feeling drowsy behind the wheel is a serious issue that can put your life and those around you in danger. If you feel too sleepy while driving, the best thing to do is pull over into a safe location and get adequate rest before continuing. If there is no other option, staying in your vehicle and taking a power nap or drinking a cup of coffee may be helpful. However, finding another form of transportation to go home would be ideal. Distraction-free driving should always be your primary goal. Thus, when sleepiness strikes, don’t push yourself beyond your limits; get yourself and those around you out of harm’s way instead.
Foods That Help You Stay Awake While Driving
Travelers keen on being at their best mind when driving should consider stocking up on foods that help them stay awake and alert by producing energy to fight fatigue. Some foods that can help include whole grains, lean protein, and dark chocolate.
Whole grains, such as oatmeal, contain B vitamins that can provide sustained energy. Lean proteins, such as eggs, boast a wealth of amino acids, the building blocks of energy production in the body. Lastly, dark chocolate goes beyond mood-boosting as it contains caffeine and natural sources of sugar, such as glucose and fructose, that provide a short-term energy source.
Tips to Avoid Fatigue While Driving
Driving for hours can be exhausting and mentally draining, so taking precautions is crucial to prevent becoming overly exhausted. Here are some tips you should consider:
- Sing or play some music: Listening to familiar pieces and singing along can help inject alive energy into your drive, shifting away from the monotony and keeping you engaged on the road. Music can also help reduce stress levels and provide an enjoyable, distraction-filled ride that will help get you to your destination safely.
- Avoid taking a long drive after work: Prolonged sedentary behavior can cause drowsiness, so taking a quick break before beginning your drive could help reduce the risk of fatigued driving. It’s also recommended to watch for any warning signs of fatigue and take a break if you feel yourself dozing off.
- Make plans to split the driving: This allows everyone in the car to rest to prevent fatigue from sticking around for too long. Establishing rules when taking turns behind the wheel also helps create a structure, so everyone follows a plan.
Final Thoughts
Highway hypnosis is a pervasive phenomenon that may take off your life. Still, there are ways to combat it and stay alert during long drives. Remembering the above pointers will help you enjoy your road trip experience to the fullest!
