6 Long Distance Driving Safety Tips

How Not To Be Involved In Road Accidents While Traveling Long Distances

To travel by car from Kuala Lumpur to Penang is a distance of more than 250km. Many people suggest such a journey should not be done alone.

Today’s article will touch on this topic and how best drivers can carry out this arduous and long journey. Below are 6 safety tips on long distance driving.

The most important thing a driver driving such long distances should not do it to fall asleep. This is dangerous!

1) Get a friend to accompany you.

A friend to accompany you would certainly liven up the journey. Having someone to talk to you, as you drive would certainly make the journey seem less difficult. Try it out and you will discover the difference it makes.

2) Try fixing a radio in your car.

A radio or a CD player in your car goes a long way in making your journey less tedious. Listening to news gives you the latest updates regarding the current situation.

Soothing music goes a long way to make a tired driver feel his journey less taxing. And if you are driving alone, especially in the early hours of the morning, the voice of a lady announcer does make a lot of difference to keep you awake.

3) Stop frequently at R & R (Rest and Recreation) areas.

All across most of our highways are built R & R for tired drivers to stop and rest. These are modern facilities which drivers of yester-years fail to enjoy.

Take a deserved rest. Wash your face. Do some exercises. Do take a hot drink to perk you up. A cup of refreshing hot Milo will most certainly do you a lot of good.

The stop not only does the driver ample good, but it also provides the vehicle you are driving and opportunity to cool down after such a long distance of driving.

4) Ensure your vehicle’s air-con system is well serviced.

Before embarking on a 250 km journey, make sure you service your air-con system. Except during the night and evening hours, Malaysian weather during the day can be rather hot.

The hot weather makes driving less comfortable, if not impossible. A cool and relaxing atmosphere provided by a well serviced air-con will go a long way in assisting to make your journey more comfortable.

5) Take a break if you feel drowsy or unable to keep your eyes open.

I once thumped a lift from a close friend, Mr. Johari from Genting Highlands to Gombak. While traveling along the Karak Highway, Mr. Johari’s steering veered dangerously, almost ploughing into the back of other vehicles. Mr. Johari was in fact following too close to other vehicles.

As a driving instructor of some 40 years experience, I could see my friend’s eyes drooping and closing off. After a few near misses along the Karak Highway, I finally suggest that my friend and I should ideally stop at the R & R at Gombak to take some much needed refreshments.

You see, Mr. Johari’s business was bad that particular day and he hadn’t taken his breakfast and lunch yet. He was in fact tired. I suggested that I would give Mr. Johari a treat, most likely averted a possible accident.

After lunch, my friend reverted to his superb driving ways he was well known for.

6) Corners.

An old teacher of mine once told our class something about corners. You know, he reiterated, engineers could have built a 250 km road straight to Penang. No problem at all.

But why are there so many corners, twists and turns from here to Penang?

Well, he said, a corner is essential. A straight road would make a driver feel boring and fall asleep. A corner would wake up a drowsy driver. If he had been asleep or about to doze off, realizing he was about to face a corner, the driver will have to do these necessary things:

i) Slow down.

ii) Step on his brakes a little.

iii) Change down to a lower gear.

in order to negotiate a corner safely.

Well, all in all, a driver has unconsciously awaken from his sleep maybe and thus averted an accident.

So it is hoped modern day drivers will understand why it is essential to have corners in our modern highways or road systems. Hopefully drivers will no longer continue to blame corners.

If you know why corners are built along our highways, you will sure understand, in fact that corners actually have a vital function to play after all.