Whether you’re a teenager or the parent of one, road trips will inevitably be discussed at some point, even if they don’t get to the actual planning stage. These adventures require real time and energy to get off the ground, no matter how easy it seems in the movies. If it does seem like things are coming to a head, here are a few ground rules both teens and parents can agree on.
Remain lawful
Easy, right? Actually, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Laws change when you cross borders, but one thing stays the same: you need to know about all the laws that apply to you. This means that you will need to relearn a few things about road rules and etiquettes and that you should get used to driving under different laws. A good rule to stick to is to always drive at the lowest maximum speed your route allows. On highways, of course.
Insurance can be a bit of a puzzle in circumstances like a road trip, exemptions and all. While it’s tempting to go for affordable, limited protection coverage for everyday driving, it’s crucial to learn about the details of your car insurance policy before you take to the road—especially since, statistically, teens get in more car accidents than just about anyone else. Ring up your provider or broker and discuss your route, and what kind of protection is necessary. Then buy it, because you must.
Prepare like you will never see civilization again
You could be forgiven for thinking that as long as you have a cell phone and credit card, you’re all set. Unfortunately, you need to plan for accidents as well as safe, uneventful drives.
So go nuts. After all, the worse that could happen is that you don’t use all of the gear you brought with you, hardly a big problem. Bring stuff for your car like sanitary supplies, medical items, a bunch of different food, safety gear and for sure water. If you can imagine something that would be useful at any point, bring it with you.
Now, on the topic of maps: of course GPS navigation is a godsend, but technology breaks. Before you leave, it’s an excellent idea to buy several maps (in case you lose one or two) and to get familiar with how they work. People have used maps for hundreds of years before smartphones; they can’t be that bad. You will also avoid a lot of potential problems if you know where you’re going and how to get there before you hit the road.
Safety first
This is the big one. Roads can be dangerous, and parents have every right to feel worried about what could happen. You need a plan to stick to, and a good one.
First of all, call each other frequently. It’s a good idea to set specific times for phone calls, such at 5 P.M. each day, or every time you stop to fill the gas tank. This will take a huge stress off everyone involved because routine things are comforting. And if you are the teenager behind the wheel, do yourself a favor and don’t hide anything during those calls. There might be good reasons why you would want to avoid talking about an accident, a speeding ticket or some other bump in the road, but building trust requires honesty and you will certainly gain more out of being transparent about your adventure than being secretive about it. Talk often, talk frankly.
And while we’re discussing phone calls: never use your phone at the wheel. Don’t. Not only is it illegal in some countries, it’s more frequently associated to car crashes than alcohol. It might seem easy and inoffensive to look at texts or to activate your phone’s speaker during a call. It isn’t.
Finally, if you are going to be away for more than a day, start writing safety notes. These can seem a bit superfluous, but they have allowed many happy endings to trips that have gone off the rails. A safety note is a short, date-stamped note that you leave in your car (in the glove compartment, say), detailing where you are, what you are doing, and who are the people with you. At every stop, it will only take a few seconds to write down a little blurb like:
“6:17 P.M. 9/6/2014 – Boston, Main street – Burger Place – Jill (555-854-1256)”.
If you get separated from your vehicle for any reason, these could turn out to be crucial.
And with that, good planning, and safe journeys!
Photo Credit
Image is from fotolia – © goodluz
Guest Author Bio
Christophe Belanger
I am a freelance web consultant who has spent over a decade helping businesses improve their image and better manage their resources. You can find me blogging, commenting in many blogs and surfing on the Web but also travelling here and there and surfing on waves of water.
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