How to prepare your car for a long journey


There isn’t much scarier than your car breaking down somewhere unfamiliar. We have all seen the news stories recently, especially about the rise in hit and run crime. There are lots of things you can do to prevent this, however, or at least reduce the risk drastically.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

This article is your guide to preparing your car for a long journey, and if you follow these tips and tricks, you shouldn’t be caught in a dangerous situation.

Tell Someone

First and foremost, make sure that if you are about to undertake a long drive, you let someone know your plans. This will give you a better chance of rescue if you run into trouble along the way and have no way of calling for help.

Check Your Car

Before going on a long journey, you should check your car to make sure that there are no obvious issues. Some noteworthy things to check are the oil filter, the spark plugs, the tires, and the wiper fluid.

Photo by Evan Hein on Unsplash- car engine

Supplies

Regardless of whether you are going on a long journey or a short one, everybody should keep emergency supplies in their car. A good idea is to keep a blanket, a fire extinguisher, and some food that has a long expiration date. These are all great things to have in an emergency.

In addition to these, if you want to be extra prepared, create a car survival kit. In this kit you should
include:

● A chain or thick towing rope
● Electric charger wire
● Flashlight
● Screwdrivers and wrenches of different sizes
● Bungee cords
● Pliers
● Hammer

You should also keep garbage bags in the car, and it is easy to let your candy wrappers build up when
you have not got a designated place to keep them. Keeping your car clean will allow you to find things when you need to.

Effective Driving

Making sure you know your limits is also essential when undertaking a long journey. Knowing how far you can comfortably drive will allow you to put a proper plan in place. You should also be careful of your speed. Driving at a slow, comfortable speed will save you money in gas, reduce your risk of a crash and save the wear and tear on your car.

Make sure you try and avoid boredom. If you feel yourself starting to get bored, play some loud music, or pull over and stop. It is easy to start driving on auto-pilot when driving for long periods. When this happens, it can take a split second longer to react to incidents, and this can make all the difference in how severe a crash is.

Finally, don’t rely on coffee or energy drinks. If you find yourself getting tired, it is much better to stop and rest then it is to mask your tiredness with caffeine.

If you follow all of the above tips and tricks, your long journey should be a breeze. Remember, long
journeys are all about being prepared! Fail to prepare, and you prepare to fail.