Tips For Driving Long Distances

You may have passed your test comfortably and you're now planning a long journey in your car that you've been looking forward to. If it's your first time driving long distance since you've passed your test then you may be a little nervous. Perhaps you're still taking lessons but you've planned a long journey following a successful pass of your driving test.

You will have received lots of great advice from your driving instructors in Edinburgh - Compass ProDrive, but we've put this post together with all the advice we think you'll need to make a long journey with confidence.

Know the Route You're Taking

There are route planners offered by AA and RAC on their own respective websites and from here you can checkout the various routes and check for any traffic works or potential hotspots. If you know you need to be somewhere at a certain time, then make sure you start out early enough so you get there in time. When driving on a long journey, it's important to make sure you take regular breaks. This is especially important if your journey is going to be around 2 hours long or more, so you need to figure this in to your plans.

Preparations

Make sure you check your car is ready. When you were learning to drive with your instructor you would have learnt all about your car during the “Show and Tell” part of your test. Now that you can identify each important part of your car, you'll be able to check that each part is in working order before you travel.

Tyres, Engine, Water and Oil Levels

Check the tyre tread, make sure you know the legal tread depth, if your tyres are worn then they have more chance of aquaplaning in wet weather. Tyre pressure can impact both braking and steering. Check that they are not under-inflated because they'll wear away in the wrong places and cause an accident. Make sure you have a spare tyre and a jack in your boot before starting out. Check your engine for water and oil levels so your engine won't over-heat and cause it fail.

Check windscreen and lights and that they are in full working order before starting out. Your lights must be in full working order to meet the legal requirements.

Avoid Fatigue on Your Journey

Remember that it's important to take regular breaks so as to avoid fatigue whilst driving. Why not try sharing the drive with a friend and that way, by sharing the journey you'll make it a safer one. If possible avoid heavy meals and alcohol the night before.

Compass ProDrive – Edinburgh Driving School

We hope this gave you a real thirst for driving. If you still have further questions regarding driving on long journeys, then you know you can always contact us here and we'll be happy to answer them.