Are you planning a long trip this holiday season? Are you a business owner that employs drivers to travel long distances to deliver your products? Well, it’s your responsibility to ensure safety as they drive along the road.
As road accident cases rise due to the pandemic in Singapore, you should find more ways to travel back and forth without injuries. Experts say that more vehicles are on the road because people slowly shift to treat the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure safety by relying on a driver monitoring system to ensure that everything is fine.
If you further want to feel at ease while driving, here are things and knowledge you should bring before driving a long distance.
6 Things and Knowledge to Bring Before Driving Long Distance
Apart from following safety tips, you should also know what to bring to avoid accidents. Why? It’s not enough to only follow some tips without putting action into it. Can you imagine tracking some information about checking your car properties from time to time as you drive but never really bought a tool to check? It will not be practical and helpful! Hence, you should bring both the knowledge and the things to ensure safety for a long-distance trip.
To have a more effective fleet management system plan, here are the things and knowledge you need to bring before you hit the road.
1) Car Repair Tools and How to Use Them
There are ingredients if you want to repair your car successfully: they are knowledge, practical skill and, of course, tools. If you’re driving long distances, you may experience minor car problems along the way. Well, imagine if you’re in the middle of nowhere or on a highway with no people around? How can you fix the car without the appropriate tools? Hence, don’t forget to bring the tools you need and how to use them.
To help you prepare, here are some tools to bring while on the road:
- Hammers
- Pry bar
- Screwdriver Set
- Tire pressure gauge
- Wrench Set
- Toolbox
- Safety Glasses
- Flashlight
- Fire extinguisher
You need to bring more things for safer travel, but only get the essentials like the list above if you have a small car. Apart from that, don’t forget to invest in fleet asset tracking to have assistance to assess the condition of your vehicle as you travel along a long distance.
2) Bring Caffeine and How to Stay Awake
Drowsiness can lead to accidents because you’re becoming more unaware of the environment as your mind sleeps. Hence, the best way is to bring objects or drinks that can make you stay awake. You can get some loudspeakers to play the music to prevent you from drowsing. You can also bring caffeinated beverages to boost energy for your body.
Better yet, you can invest in a drowsiness detection system or drivers fatigue management to know if you’re slowly losing consciousness into sleep. If you’re travelling for a long distance, make sure to get enough sleep the day before to avoid feeling drowsy while travelling a long distance.
If you can’t fight the sleepiness, it’s better to pull over if you see a place where you can park. Upon doing this, you can take a nap. Or you can bring a companion to drive if you need to take a break from the wheels.
3) Bring Emergency/Medical Kit and Know Their Functions
It’s risky to take your attention away from the road when you feel distracted due to physical pain or other emotional disturbances. If this happens, better stop driving for the meantimes until you feel comfortable again. Hence, during your fleet asset tracking, don’t forget to bring an emergency/medical kit to remedy your wounds or other physical pains. To help you, here are some things to include in your medical equipment:
- Band-aids
- Alcohol
- Soaps
- Water
- Extra clothes and shoes
- Pills
As you bring this, you’ll be able to give comfort to your pain and may drive again as soon as possible. You can also rely on the fleet management system to know if the car is convenient to move with your condition. As such, you’ll be more prepared to travel the long distance to your destination.
4) Install GPS Tracker and Know The Usage
Travelling into a foreign place can feel a bit dangerous, especially if you’re not familiar with the route, people and landmarks. Hence, to ensure your safety, you can install vehicle GPS tracking, so your friends, family or employees can know your whereabouts. They can also send help immediately when you need assistance.
Imagine your trap in the middle of nowhere, and you can’t look for help because there’s no signal? Just like in the movie, there’s a danger if you’re not familiar with the place because locals can easily deceive you. Hence, maximise the usage of vehicle GPS tracking if you’re entering a foreign area.
Before you hit the road, look for professionals who can install the GPS tracker so your family or employers can follow your progress while on the road.
5) Bring Notes About Road Signs and Rules
As you drive into a foreign area, you have to know their community’s rules and road signs. Hence, research more about the place you’ll be travelling into and take notes about the laws you need to consider. Doing so will help you obey the road signs and prevent police officers from getting your driver’s license.
Don’t forget to use the driver monitoring system to know if you’re following the safety measurements to avoid accidents. Also, follow the speed limit to be more mindful of your driving habits. As you follow the speed limit, you’ll have more time to assess your situation and the environment to avoid road accidents.
6) Bring IDs and Driver’s License
As you drive along with a long-distance, you’ll probably meet with officers who ask about your personal information. To show that you’re a law-abiding citizen, show them your government IDs and driver’s licence that you’re allowed and at the right age to drive a car. With this, you can ensure that you’re safe from law enforcement violations.
For a safer travel experience, Guardian South East Asia can offer a fleet management system, drivers fatigue management, fleet asset tracking, and vehicle GPS tracking. Visit their website to start preparing for your long-distance travels.