The holiday season brings joy, festivities, and the joy of travel. Whether you're visiting family or embarking on a winter getaway, travelling during the winter season requires careful planning and consideration for safety and comfort. To help make your holiday travel hassle-free and enjoyable, here are our top 7 tips for travelling!
7. Avoid Drowsy Driving
Fatigue can significantly impact the ability to drive safely, so staying awake and alert is important especially during the winter season when the days are shorter and darker. The best way to avoid drowsy driving is to ensure you get a good night's sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep to stay alert and focused while driving. You can read through our Tips to Avoid Drowsy Driving article for more pointers - you’ll never guess the top tip!
6. Route Planning
Planning the route ahead of leaving can save you time, fuel, and avoid unnecessary inconveniences. When you plan your travel route in advance, consider potential traffic and congestion points, planned or last minute road closures, and the road and weather conditions of the route and destination. Planning ahead can be done with apps like Google Maps, websites like DriveBC, or checking out your local news stations for recent road and weather reports.
5. Pre-trip Checks
Perform thorough pre-trip checks to ensure everything is in proper working order. Ideally, a pre-trip check for a longer trip should be done a day or two ahead of time so that if there is anything that needs attention, you have time to fix it before leaving. In addition to the items you should be checking daily, like the lights and wipers, this is also a good time to check the oil and washerfluid, tire tread and pressure, and that the brakes are performing adequately.
If you’re planning on travelling anywhere that has winter road or weather conditions, or along a mountain pass, ensure you have tires that are rated for snow!
4. Pack the Essentials
What is considered essential will vary depending on where you live, where you’re going, and what you might encounter along the way! Essential items for a winter roadside kit can range from things like a first aid kit and jumper cables, to extra clothing and non-perishable food items, and even a camp stove and traction mats!
You may also want to consider bringing some comfort essentials that will make any road trip more enjoyable! Things like your favourite snacks, music playlists, and games to play.
3. Leave Early
To avoid the stress of rushing and potential delays, leave early for your journey. Factor in extra time for planned and unexpected stops, traffic, and changing weather conditions. Especially when travelling across the province, country, or dipping down south, you can experience a variety of road and weather conditions. These conditions can change rapidly and unexpectedly, and you don’t want to run behind schedule when family and friends are waiting! Arriving ahead of schedule allows for a more relaxed and stress-free travel experience.
2. Share Travel Plans
Share your travel itinerary with family or friends, including departure and arrival times, any planned stops, and your accommodation information. Sharing this information with someone at your destination, as well as someone who is not travelling with you, will ensure multiple people know what routes you’re taking and where you should be at any given time.
This can be helpful if you need assistance on the road and have trouble getting service or a strong signal. Your waiting party will also know sooner rather than later if something has happened, based on when you are supposed to arrive.
1. Avoid Distractions
Keep distractions to a minimum while driving. This includes phones and other electronic devices, loud music, and passengers. Using electronic devices while driving is distracting and using a hand-held device is a ticketable offense, so make sure that your phone is set up for music or directions before you hit the road. If your phone is too much of a temptation, keep it on silent or driving mode, or even store it away. Drivers who have their Class 7 Novice or Class 7 Learners should always keep any devices stored away, since they are not legally allowed to use them during these licensing stages.
Loud music and passengers can also contribute to distracted driving. Road tripping with good music and good friends is a must-have for many drivers, but keeping these things at a reasonable volume will help driving remain as the primary focus.
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Embrace the holiday adventure this season, taking breaks to enjoy scenic views and making memories along the way. Holiday travel can be exciting and rewarding, but it also requires careful planning and attention to detail. These holiday travel tips will ensure a safe, stress-free, and enjoyable journey.