I'm planning a road trip -- click here to see -- and I wanted some suggestions on things like .
-How long between sleep is safe?
-Where should I shower? (I'll be sleeping in the back of my van)
-Anything else that you think would be important...
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I'm planning a road trip -- click here to see -- and I wanted some suggestions on things like .
-How long between sleep is safe?
-Where should I shower? (I'll be sleeping in the back of my van)
-Anything else that you think would be important...
I have a friend who drove from her home in Myrtle Beach (SC) to California without sleep. She stopped once at a hotel, laid down for 2 hours and couldn't get to sleep, so she went on driving. I don't know whether or not she was lying, but she didn't really have a reason to lie about it.
Finding where rest stops are located is important. I believe for commerical truckers its 10 hours of drive time, 8 hours of sleep. I'd try to find places to stop every 4 hours at the min though, to stop, strech out, get something to eat, and to gauge your ability to keep driving.
For showering see if there are any public campgrounds along your route with a shower facility.
Also, I don't keep up with where it snows (never seen snow since I've lived in florida my whole life)... Does it snow anywhere on that route in January?
When you get out west, you'll see snow because of the mountains, but that's the only place I can think you'd see it.
Also, truck stops sometimes have showers.
I wouldn't be surprised if you saw snow in Tennessee in Jan. And there have been studies that show that driving tired is worse than driving drunk. Make sure you get sleep along the way.
:eek: Some of my suggestions are that you have to be prepared
with a lot of water/ some trashfood and money basically.
So be prepared with food and money just in case the car breaks in the middle of nowhere.
If you want to sleep in the car, because you are tired , you can do it where you see the trucks stops, usually in places where you can find food or in gas stations. It's worked fine with me.
well if you need the restroom you can find in local stores, or use the gas station that usually is in bad shape :(
Also you can stop in the night and walk around your car to wake you up.
Finally i just wish you good luck :D and don't drive tired.
and if snows i suggest you to don't drive , and if you do never use bridges, it's pretty dangerous, I got a car accident last december. Is it horrible to lose all the control of the car , and move all over the weel and the car goes to anywhere and other cars crashing on yours. You just can't control it. I am alive but it was pretty scary experience.
If you are going to do something that fits the definition of "criminal negligence", it's better not to post evidence of it on the web! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by B0bDole
Don't stop at places that have names like Crystal Lake and Elm Street. :p
And if you do, make sure you don't have sex. At least that way you'll survive until you can run through the woods and trip over a root. You won't die naked with a dumb look on your face.
Darn southeners and their lack of snow-driving abilities. That's why everyone should have to learn to drive up in a northern state during winter, spring, or fall (sometimes summer too).
>Darn southeners and their lack of snow-driving abilities.
Exactly, and my lack of snow tires, is why I want to avoid areas where there will be snow. Thing is I have no idea where it snows.
Essentials:
- Cup-holder(s). Don't leave home without 'em.
- One cold/cool beverage whose main purpose is to keep you from dehydrating. Stay way from anything with caffeine, "sport beverages" like Gatorade (however it's spelled) should do the trick. The amount varies with the length of your stints. Calculate half a litre per hour (one gallon = 3.8 litres, roughly).
- One beverage to keep you awake. I like coffee, some don't. Tea or anything with enough caffeine in it will do the trick. Amount varies depending on how much you gulp down. I usually have one cup of coffee per hour when I'm driving long distances.
- Optional/Depending on your planning: Snacks. If you plan on driving longer stints without stopping, bring snacks with you so you can eat a little something every hour or two.
Planning:
You'll want to plan your stops and driving stints. If you stop too often you'll make crap time, if you don't stop often enough you'll lose concentration.
For shorter trips (<= Four hours) I make one stop only, somewhere in the middle. Pee, refill coffee/beverages/snacks and possibly get some chow.
For longer trips (> Four hours and <= 8 hours) I try and make two stops, one for peeing, refilling coffee/beverages/snacks and the other one for eating proper food.
8 hours is about the maximum you'll want to drive in one day, assuming you want to have a vacation-type roadtrip. You could do 10 hours a day, but that would leave room for nothing but driving.
If you want to make good time, buy something you can eat in the car, like sandwiches, and only make one or two quick "pee-stops".
If you want to be absolutely sure you won't tire yourself out, I would suggest 7 hours of driving per day with stops at the second and fifth hour.
Other tips to consider is first to keep a consistent speed. You'll make better time driving 55 mph for longer distances instead of going 50 mph some stretches and 60 mph other stretches.
Vary your seating position every so often. If you have cruise control, turn it on as often as possible and make sure to move your legs around. Extend them as far as you can, retract them, etc. The biggest problem with driving for extended period of times is that your body sort of 'locks up' in the same position, which is both tiring and gnaws at your concentration increasing the risk of an accident.
Yeah, because all us Northerners buy snow tires! :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by B0bDole
In Sweden, it is mandatory by law to have snow tires from December 1st until March 31st if you are driving in "winter conditions"...
It's just silly not to use snow tires if you're driving in winter conditions.
You don't need snow tires to drive in the winter. It takes all the fun away. If you're really up for a challenge, swap in some racing slicks from December to March!
> If you have cruise control, turn it on as often as possible
I'm gonna disagree with you here. If you're just turning it on to flex your legs, that's fine, but I've always thought people pay less attention to the road when they've got cruise on. It's just that much easier to zone out if you don't have to worry about how fast you're going.
Also, I've been driving in Michigan for almost 10 years without snow tires. I've got no problems in the winter (I've gotten stuck once, but I've never had an accident). It's not that hard to drive well in the winter.
Yeah, I've only had 1 minor accident (involving me, my car, and a curb), and snow tires wouldn't have helped a bit. The only thing that would have helped is if the .............. driving the tractor would have cleared off the ICE as well as the snow when he plowed the entrance to where I used to work.
I wouldn't drive anywhere without snow tyres if it wasn't absolutely necessary.
It's not a question of whether or not I can do it or whether it is fun or not, I want to be confident that I can maintain control of my car even if there is very little grip.
I don't know how the terrain looks like in Michigan, but the part of Sweden where I live is quite hilly with lots of twists and turns in the up-hill slopes. Having summer tyres here is not a good idea if you want to be able to make it all the way up the slope.
Regarding cruise control, that depends on the driver I guess. I'm always scanning the road and the mirrors, regardless of if I have cruise control on or not, which means I don't drop in concentration.
Personally, I find it more distracting if I start getting cramps in my "manual" cruise control (right leg) than if I get to have cruise control on and not worry.
But, because I've driven so far in non-cruise control equipped cars I've gotten quite experienced in shifting my position so that I don't get cramps like that. :)
> Regarding cruise control, that depends on the driver I guess.
Yeah, I've found that that's one of my quirks. The car I'm driving right now is my first with a working cruise control, so I'm probably just biased because that's how I learned.
Michigan is a fairly flat state, but we've got our share of hills and winding roads. I'm not saying they're useless or anything, but I don't think they're necessary for my conditions.
Take someone with you. My roommate and I went on several road trips during college. It was nice to get out at rest stops and throw the frisbee for a while. You can also take turns driving.Quote:
Originally Posted by B0bDole
It's also great to be able to talk to someone, for boredom and your concentration.
You could also bring a girl friend... she'll chat you to death all day, but the nights are sweeter :p
Well... if showers are a rare resource, maybe it's not that much fun... :rolleyes:
>Well... if showers are a rare resource, maybe it's not that much fun...
That's one thing... I like to take a shower at least once a day. I've seen a shower in a gas station/mcdonalds down in FtPeirce Florida, and I've seen them other places too. But how rare are these public showers?
a good set of all-season tires will serve just as well as snow tires.
then you can use them even after the trip is over.
being able to stop, get out of the vehicle and move around at most after 4 hours is important.
( I drove from Vancouver to Edmonton through a blizzard on july first.. stopping every 4 hours to wander for a bit kept me from becoming to tense. it also helped to keep awake, I had worked 8 hours right before leaving )
drinks, for both combatting dehydration and for energy / keeping awake are good.
snacks / sandwiches important if there are long stretches of road with nothing and no-one around.
use cruise control as little as possible, it really does reduce the attention to what you are doing.
K.O.A. ( Campgrounds Of America ) all over the place, a night there for about 10 bucks, with shower is worth it. power for lights, time to actually eat real food, releax as the driving does increase tension.
Truckers are limited by law to 12 hours behind the wheel, unless they have 2 people in the rig.
obey the speed limit, not only will you get there as fast, you won't get expensive tickets. :)
note:
when I was in the middle of that blizzard, I was doing only 10 mph in a 100 mph zone.
don't be afraid to crawl along the curb if you are in conditions you are not used to. it is far safer for all if you do.
don't forget your cd collection. music to help keep you awake is a good thing.
pay attention to the local radio station frquencies, for traffic / weather bullitens. you can save yourself stress and even your life by knowing that pulling in for the day far easrlier than planned will keep you off the road rather than drive through a blizzard. ( specially as you haven't driven in snow )
Oh yeah, if you've never driven in snow, follow these simple tips to decrease the risk of getting into an accident:
- Keep at least twice the distance to the car infront of you as you normally would. Even if you don't need that much distance to avoid any accidents, margins are always nice.
- If you loose grip on the wheels going up-hill and the wheels start spinning, don't push harder on the throttle. If you do, the wheels will spin more.
- Before going up a hill, try gaining more speed before the road actually rises (feel free to break the speed limit). Low grip won't cause your car to loose velocity, but with low grip you will be unable to add any more velocity by using the throttle (see previous point). By speeding up below a hill you increase the amount of velocity you will have going up the hill, allowing you to be gentler on the throttle.
- It's ALWAYS slicker than you think it is.
- Be gentle. Brake softer, accelerate softer, steer softer.
And like Jaqui says, don't be afraid to drive slower than the speed limit if the conditions are bad. But, if you do that, respect the drivers behind you that may want to drive faster.
If you see someone approaching you going faster than you are, do what you can to move out of the way to let them pass. If they want to go fast even though they shouldn't, it's their problem. By allowing them to pass you easily you will avoid a potentially dangerous situation (you have no idea how easy it is for a car to get into a spin if the driver tries to overtake on a slippery surface) and it's not like you will lose any time.
> Low grip won't cause your car to loose velocity
It does sometimes. I had a nice lol at a guy I saw last winter who, while trying to ascend a hill in bad weather and a Chevy Blazer, made it about halfway up before sliding down. My little Saturn handled it just fine.
> It's ALWAYS slicker than you think it is.
That's an excellent piece of advice.
make sure to watch National Lampoon's "Vacation" before going.
i know all about road trips, take a stick for the grubs, pack leaves for shelter and a billi for hot water and take a stick shaped like the letter (y) so you can find water. last but by no means least,ten thousand cans of baked beans because you know what they say, beans means hines :confused:
> It's ALWAYS slicker than you think it is.
Amen.
Driving in "winter conditions" is just something you have to get used to. As was said before, keep much more distance between you and the car ahead of you than you normally would. If the car starts to fishtail, the best thing to do (and it takes time, usually) is not to freak out. Little corrections will get the car straight again, slamming on the brakes and wildly moving the steering wheel will get you firmly in the ditch. That being said, it's not as hard as we're all making it sound. Maybe that's just me, since I've been doing it since I started driving...
Besides the fantastic quote above, the biggest thing about driving on ice/snow to remember is this: It's not the going that'll get you; it's the stopping. Your car will be able to get going on the ice (it'll just require higher wheel speed that usual), but stopping is an entirely different story. The wheels may have stopped turning, but there can be a SERIOUS lack of friction between you and the road sometimes - and that means you slide. The harder you brake, the more likely you are to slide.
I think that's about it for winter driving.
Decrypt
p.s. I don't like cruise control for two reasons:
1) It makes it easier for you to space out
2) You can't let off of the gas. If you're driving w/o it, and, say, a deer is walking by the edge of the road, you let off the gas for a second or two, which gives you more time to decide; to watch the situation and see if you need to brake or not. With cruise control you can lose those few seconds.
Ha...after looking at the plan for the trip, I really have to wonder why you're getting all these winter driving suggestions. It rarely snows in Georgia, and your whole trip is in the same latitude. I'll bet you 5 dollars that if you follow your plan, you won't drive on any snow.
>I'll bet you 5 dollars that if you follow your plan, you won't drive on any snow.
Thank you so much, that's what I wanted to know...people ran off with the idea of telling me how to drive in snow, which is useful information.
Thanks Pianorain.
Sorry, but if you're driving that far into Arizona, that means mountains. That means it's really likely you'll hit snow.
>driving that far into Arizona, that means mountains.
I'm staying on the interstate, I dont know if that goes up into mountains or not.
Always park your car when you need to adjust the radio to hear a local station, and make a mp3 CD with all your favorite music, so you won't have any distractions changing Cd's when you are on the road.Quote:
drinks, for both combatting dehydration and for energy / keeping awake are good.
snacks / sandwiches important if there are long stretches of road with nothing and no-one around.
don't forget your cd collection. music to help keep you awake is a good thing.
pay attention to the local radio station frquencies, for traffic / weather bullitens. you can save yourself stress and even your life by knowing that pulling in for the day far easrlier than planned will keep you off the road rather than drive through a blizzard. ( specially as you haven't driven in snow )
And the food is essential , that would help you economically and time wise.
>and make a mp3 CD with all your favorite music
Yes I have an aftermarket cd player that plays MP3 cd's so I'm set there, I'm also planning on borrowing my roomates Ipod with the fm transmitter thing.
I found a good deal on a CB radio that also tunes into local weather stations so I will have that. It would become useful in emergencies where a cell phone doesnt get signal, also.
Yeah... because interstates NEVER go into the mountains. :rolleyes: Some of the BEST interstates go into the mountains.Quote:
Originally Posted by B0bDole
look here:
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/.../snowfall.html
I looked at a few of the major cities you'll be driving through, and it looks like only a few inches on average here or there, probably not to worry. I didn't look at your map :o before I posted, just saw some discussion on winter driving. oops.
Five days? Are you going to stop and get out of the car anywhere??
Hope it turns out well, good luck, have fun!
Decrypt
Aye, but it doesn't look like he's going to drive across any. Shouldn't Albuquerque be as close as he's going to get to the Rockies? My geography is terrible, but after browsing around online, it looks like the Rockies protrude a bit into northern New Mexico close to Albuquerque.
I still stand by my bet. If I'm wrong, I don't mind losing 5 dollars.
Albuquerque often times gets snow, and in January you can definately expect snow of some kind between Albuquerque and Flagstaff.
>Some of the BEST interstates go into the mountains.
Sorry sheesh, I'm from Florida, we dont have mountains or snow. :(
>Are you going to stop and get out of the car anywhere??
There's planned stops here and there, and from suggestions I'll probably stop every 5 hrs or so...If someone goes with me we will probably be driving for most of the day, rotating, and sleeping in the back of the van with an air mattress and all while the other drives.
I'm just saying... some of the best views are from the side of a mountain... so some highways dive into the mountains just for that (plus it's usually the most direct route to get to somewhere).
>> It's also great to be able to talk to someone, for boredom and your concentration.
The inovation for car radios.
1) Whoever says that more than 10 hours is too much driving: I drive from Wisconsin to Mississippi at least twice a year. 13 1/2 hours no problemo.(with plenty of sleep)
2) There's no way to tell if it's going to snow or not, there was a foot of snow deep into Mississippi last Christmas(or 2 years ago).
3) If you feel like youre going to fall asleep, please stop and nap.
4) Watch out for black ice, you can't see it on the road.
5) Anywhere in the south sucks for snow because they only plow 1 lane at first.
6) If it doesn't snow, it will be a breeze.
+
7) Check your oil often
>>4) Watch out for black ice, you can't see it on the road.
Wouldn't that make it impossible? ;)
There is a big difference between driving one day for 13 hours then driving for 13 hours / day for 6 days.Quote:
1) Whoever says that more than 10 hours is too much driving: I drive from Wisconsin to Mississippi at least twice a year. 13 1/2 hours no problemo.(with plenty of sleep)
Watch out for hitchhiking kangaroos.....
Aust research shows ~1% of collisions invlove an animal or swerving to avoid it.
33% of these are kangaroos.
Worst possible scenario is that the roo is jumping when you hit the it, the roo hits the bonnet and slides thru the windscreen into the front seat with you.
This has a tendency to annoy them.
Then they eat all your snacks and change the CD....
Let me get this straight...
You are taking a 5000+ mile road trip to see the western side of the US, yet you are stopping about 150 miles short of Las Vegas???
P.S. The only spot you might hit some snow is just outside of Albuquerque. Good luck, and have fun.
ober: ok BARELY see it
thantos: your right... I shouldnt be discouraging safe habits anyways