Pre-requisites to keep in mind before hitting for a road trip

It is that time of the year when celebrations are at their highest. Bidding goodbye to the ongoing year, along with the celebrations of Christmas and long holidays, is a sure shot reason to hit the road for a trip with your near and dear ones. The reason is quite simple – you do wish to leave all the ambiguities and bad experiences of the ongoing year (if any) up in smoke and freshen up your mind, body, heart, and soul to welcome the new year.

Following are four top-most pre-requisites to keep in mind while you kick-start that well-deserved road trip:-

Adequate amount of sleep –

If you are driving out on the outskirts of a city or cross-country roads, you do require a whole lot of alertness. The constant attention on the road ahead for keeping an eye on moving traffic, obstructions and corners puts a whole lot of stress on your mind. This is where the point of having a proper sleep before you hit the road comes in.

Studies suggest that an adult requires a sleep of seven hours to stay awake for continuous driving practices. One more thing to note – if you feel drowsy while you are on a drive, it is better to take a step back and let your fellow companion take the command of the steering wheel. The half-awake condition might make you divert the required attention for the road ahead.

Have an interesting playlist –

Studies also suggest that music is one of the most trusted and reliable sources to focus on a certain thing or practice. And driving, surely, is one of them. A majority of people love listening to music while on the go, even in their short office commutes. And when it comes to road trips, keeping an ear for the good music becomes a must-have feature.

It is advisable to have a playlist in a USB drive or in your smartphone, from which you can listen to the music via Bluetooth or Aux-in cable. Considering the fact that radio signals are usually inaccessible in remote areas or outside city peripherals, relying on other sources is always a good idea. Also, to avoid boredom, it is required to have a playlist of mix genres – from hard rock to soft ballads. This will ensure that you don’t yawn at any point in time.

Ample food on the board –

It’s quite common to have an urge of having something to eat frequently while on a road trip. So, needless to say, it is required to have something light to eat in you carry bags. Studies suggest that having something to eat not only satisfies your tummy but also keeps your brain and nerves awake in all conditions and prevents boredom at any point.

When it comes to something to eat, avoid having oily and fried things and rely on dry things like fruits, biscuits and other baked things like cakes or cookies. Also, shy away from caffeine – it might sound adverse, but the fact is that a cup of coffee might keep you awake for a short span of time, but the effect will gradually shimmer down. So, it’s better to have fruit juices and energy drinks. And yes, another ‘needless to say’ point – stay away from alcohol!

Keep the condition of your car proper –

Last but not the least, the most important companion of your road trip is your vehicle itself. So, before leaving make sure that the car in which you will be travelling is in a proper and fault-free condition. A visit to the service centre for a proper and thorough check is the first step towards this direction. This includes checking all the essential mechanicals and tire pressure of all the four wheels.

Given the fact that prevention is better than cure, make sure that all the major and minor inspection points have been covered to avoid any kind of breakdown in the middle of the trip. Apart from that, also keep a proper toolbox and first aid kit, in case you still face any kind of breakdown.