5 Most Common Road Trip Mishaps and How to Avoid Them
Road-tripping is one of the most rewarding and exciting adventures you can take nowadays, and it’s one of the safest activities for the whole family. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has put severe restrictions on local and international travel, it only stands to reason that you should exchange city-hopping for a more nature-inspired escapade. Even if your region or country is not under lockdown, going on a road trip is still one of the best ways to escape the crowds and avoid the hustle and bustle of the big city.
Needless to say, we could all use some peace and quiet in the great outdoors. But for all the wonderful experiences that a road trip brings, there are still some common mishaps that can catch you by surprise and put a damper on your escapade. That’s why today we are taking a look at the five most common road trip mishaps that you can easily avoid with these essential tips. Here’s what you should know.
Low or non-existent connectivity
You might want nothing more than to disconnect from the world and go on an adventure where not a single email or phone call can reach you – but that’s not always the best route to take. You see, we live in a globally-connected society, and whether you like it or not, it’s important that we stay connected to each other, at least on an SMS basis. Your loved ones want to know where you are and that you’re safe on your road trip, which helps put their minds at ease.
What’s more, if you have poor connectivity, nobody will be able to help you in case of an emergency – and there’s no telling what could happen when you’re off the grid. Don’t let poor connectivity ruin your trip, instead, bring a durable smartphone and a signal booster, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, and a GPS device. Notify your local police station of your trip and your route, as well as when you’ll be coming back.
You constantly stumble into crowds
Crowds on the way out of the city, crowds on the roads, crowds at your destinations. Crowds everywhere. Constantly stumbling into crowds of people and cars on your road trip can ruin the entire experience, but it’s also a common mishap that happens way more often than it should. The way this happens is people ignoring the traffic patterns, not using Google Maps, and going on the same road trips that everyone else is taking.
Making these three mistakes will almost guarantee that you end up in a traffic jam or have to share a beautiful nature spot with 20 other people. Be sure to avoid the mishaps that break the immersion by simply avoiding peak traffic hours, taking detour routes, and planning your road trip destinations based on their popularity. After all, there are surely some amazing experiences and routes you can take that will keep you away from the crowds.
The wrong tyres putting you at risk
One of the worst mishaps you can experience on your road trip is really anything that goes wrong with your car. A cracked windshield, a broken stereo or AC, there’s a lot that can ruin your experience and force you to make a costly pit-stop. That said, the absolute worst thing that can happen is a flat tyre, or putting yourself and others at risk by having tyres that weren’t meant for the terrain you’re traversing.
If you want to stay safe, avoid flat tyres, and have a great time on your road trip, then you have to invest in durable tyres that were approved by your mechanic based on the type of road trip you’re planning. If you’re planning on hitting some dirt roads and rough terrains, then your typical city tyres just won’t do. Get the right tyres for the road trip, bring a spare and the essential tools to replace a flat, and have your mechanic optimize the tyre pressure before you hit the road.
Running out of gas in the middle of nowhere
Another common mishap that happens way too often is simply running out of gas, without a gas station around for miles. Don’t assume that you’ll have a gas station nearby wherever you go, instead, take a more calculated approach for a more memorable and enjoyable road trip.
Use Google Maps to tag all gas stations on your road trip map, and calculate when and where you’ll need to stop and refuel. You can easily calculate this by knowing the gas mileage of your car and comparing it to the distances between gas stations along the way.
Adopting the come-what-may attitude
Lastly, no matter how much you might want to do it, consider refraining from a come-what-may attitude when it comes to road trips. Yes, it sounds exciting to just hit the open road, but after a while you’ll find out that you forgot your basic supplies, that you have no idea where you’re going and what to expect, and that you don’t have your safety gear with you.
This will definitely cause frustration and it might even force you to turn around and come back home. On the other hand, if you adopt a more calculated approach and take the time to plan every aspect of your road trip, you are guaranteed to have the time of your life. If nothing else, you’ll remember to bring enough snacks for the road to prevent anyone from getting cranky until you reach the first destination.
Wrapping up
A road trip can be an amazing experience, or it can be a stressful ordeal – it comes down to your level of preparedness. Use these tips to prep for a road trip you’ll remember for years to come.