A safe road trip is a fun road trip. While it’s true that the best road trips to do have an element of risk, it should be the fun kind that comes with visiting an odd ball tourist trap or trying some interesting local experience but there are some very real risks whose outcomes are no fun at all. Fortunately, those risks can be minimized through a little bit of careful planning. Keep these self-drive travel safety tips in mind when you’re planning your self drive trip in Uganda so that you can avoid common pitfalls and have a fun, safe journey:
- Examine the rental car’s condition
A good self drive trip needs a reliable rental car, so make sure the vehicle you choose for the trip is in sound mechanical condition. You will want to get the following check as part of your pre – trip inspection; Fluid levels, Air filter, Brake pads, Wiper blades, Lights, Steering, Tires and four wheels.
If you have any doubts about your vehicle’s condition, it’s always better to have a mechanic find them now than to discover them yourself when you’re in an unfamiliar area, miles from any kind of help. Or else you order for another rental car from your rental company.
- Always move with an emergency kit
As an essential, an emergency kit should be one of the things on your packing list. An emergency kit can save your road trip—and perhaps even your life. Before you go, assemble a kit of crucial emergency supplies that includes; Road flares, Flashlights, Hand warmers, Tire changing kit, Spare tire, First aid kit, Blankets, Warm clothes, Jumper cables, Phone charger, Car charger, Fire extinguisher, Rain gear. Keep your emergency kit in a waterproof bag in the trunk. Once it’s there, you’ll have it when you need it the most.
- Keep in touch with close relatives or friends
Keep communication with your close of friends and family members while you’re on the road. Make sure that someone outside your road trip crew has been informed of your trip’s destination and planned dates so that they can check-in if they don’t hear from you.
However, this doesn’t mean you should use a cell phone with your hands while driving. If it’s important for you to be able to answer calls, fast park on road side and communicate or bring a Bluetooth headset, or use your phone’s voice assistant exclusively.
- Don’t Drink and Drive
There’s not a single good thing to say about drinking alcohol and driving. It’s a guaranteed bad idea every time. Even a moderate amount of drinking significantly reduces your ability to operate a vehicle, meaning that drinking and driving is one of the fastest ways to turn a road trip into a nightmare.
If you decide to go out for drinks at night, pick a designated driver to get back to where you’re staying. And don’t plan to get on the road before you’ve recovered because some studies have actually shown that driving hung over isn’t a smart idea, either. Rested, alert and sober is the only way to do it safely.
- Respect traffic rules and comply with them all
In general, things will go easier on your self-drive trip if you stay within the boundaries of the law. By driving the speed limit, not running red lights and generally obeying traffic laws, you will get all the fun of the road without the hassle and danger of tickets and/or police encounters.
This guidance also applies to one of the most frequently-broken road trip rules.
Wear your seat belt. It might sound cliché, but seat belts really do save lives, and you never know when a dangerous situation can arise, thanks to another driver’s negligence. Once you’ve put the seat belt on, it’s pretty easy to forget that it’s even there.
Taking the appropriate safety precautions will make your self-drive trip more fun while helping to ensure that everyone gets home in one piece and without any legal troubles. At the end of the day, it’s all about making the journey enjoyable–and a safe journey will be the most enjoyable for everyone.
- Adjust your posture
Make a conscious effort to sit up straight, because slouching can make you drowsy. People often sit too far away from the steering wheel and pedals. Actually, your legs should be bent so you can exert strong pressure on the brake pedal, and your elbows need to be slightly bent so that you can use all your strength to turn the wheel if necessary. Failing to adjust your posture can to some extent road to traffic accidents, making your self-drive trip a horrible one.
