Before you leave the house
1. Before beginning a long drive, always get enough sleep and eat something before you go. Nevertheless, do not eat too much to feel yourself brisk.
2. Never drink any alcohol before your trip.
3. If you are driving a rental vehicle, familiarize yourself with the car and all of its equipment (horn, brakes, hazard lights).
4. Clean your car before and during your trip. Take time every couple of days to purge your car of undesirable flotsam and jetsam. Even if you can tolerate some chaos, the accumulated junk and minor filth will start to drive you mad in the close quarters that define a road trip.
5. Familiarize yourself with local traffic laws, which vary from state to state.
6. Know the laws along your route concerning cell phone use while driving. While it may be legal in one place, it may be illegal in another, and ignorance is not typically an acceptable excuse for a violation.
7. Consider becoming a member of AAA or signing up for your car insurer's roadside assistance program. You won't regret it when your car breaks down on a lonely back road.
8. Before setting off on a long car trip, be sure your vehicle is in prime condition - that tires are properly inflated, that all fluids are at their proper levels and that you have a full tank of gas. (For particularly long road trips, you may want to have your mechanic do a more thorough check).
9. You should plan out your exact route before you even leave the house, but bring along a map just in case.
10. Learn out what the weather will be.A minor detour could actually wind up saving you major time.
2009-10-12
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