Whether you are a learner or a probationary driver, you must know that you cannot drive for a long time at a stretch. The same applies for a fully licensed driver. They may be a bit more experienced, but it does not negate the fact that you are a human being and thus bound to get tired and exhausted from the trip. Exhaustion influences your driving skills, which may lead to crashes.
All the driving schools should recommend a safe driving course for all drivers, especially for young drivers who are either preparing for the license test or have just passed one. LTrent is one such driving school in NSW who advocate Transport for NSW’s Safer Drivers Course. This course completion provides you with 20 bonus logbook hours. Find their course near you and contact them for further queries.
How Can Long Hour Drive Affect the Driver?
Long trips can be taxing not only on the car but also on the driver’s physical health. Prolonged experience of long driving hours can even lead to having poor driving posture. You may suffer from serious lower back pain, muscle and joint stiffness and pain. It can also raise your blood pressure level when you commute long distance for a considerable period of time.
Fatigue and tiredness are very common during long trips. However, for drivers it puts extra pressure on their already alert and tensed muscle. Fatigue can easily reduce your ability to concentrate while driving. Thus, it is evident that it affects your driving skill negatively.
Plan Your Driving Hours
If you have already made a plan to drive long distance, don’t try to traverse at once. At least, take a fifteen minutes break for every 2 hours journey. You don’t need to just park your car and sit for 15 minutes. You can do some other works like fill up gas, grab some snacks, eat at a restaurant or visit a nearby tourist spot on your way. If you want, you can also visit a local shop. This would refresh you without tiring out much.
When you are alone, you must not drive for more than 8 hours a day even with breaks. Things become easy if you can switch with another driver. If there are two drivers in the vehicle, you can take turns in driving. It would reduce the number of stops as you would get plenty of rest without worry while another person is driving.
Measures for Safe Drive During Long Trip
- Avoid driving when natural light is scarce.
- If you are even tired to look for some refreshment during the breaks, a short nap can help a lot.
- When you are driving alone, turn on a light music to disrupt the monotonous feel. Just keep the volume in check.
- Keep in mind the safe driving skills learnt during your driving training. There is no place for relaxation in following the road rules.
- Just how you prepare yourself with the blue print of the trip you plan, make sure to check car’s condition and adjust the settings beforehand.