To get to your destination as immediately as possible, driving your vehicle for long stretches without any break can be awkward and dangerous. The long hour drive is intimidating and takes immense concentration, skill, and control that is difficult to maintain for long. To maintain a high quality of safe, efficient driving, the trip must have frequent stops. As a general rule, it’s good to take break 15 to 20 minutes every two hours, and not to drive for more than 8 hours in a day. It is to ensure you stay alert and to avoid the risks such as falling asleep at the wheel and the reduced reaction times.

If you're driving at night

We usually tempted to sleep after a certain time in the night, hence the reason you should take extreme care while driving in the night. In case you are required to have a night-long drive, have frequent stops to ensure you stay alert and avoid tiredness. The breaks with snacks, tea and filled with fresh air provide the necessary energy to move ahead with new energy. Still, if you are unable to control your sleep, book a hotel room for the night and cover the distance in the day.

If you're taking medication that can cause drowsiness

Never guess that medications like fever tablets and pain killers won’t affect your driving. Having the drive with these sort of medications can cause drowsiness that may affect your ability to drive. Drowsiness affects your concentration which in turn affects your driving skills. So it’s best to ensure you stay alert by taking necessary stops or hand over the driving to someone else.

If you've eaten a big meal before starting the journey

Having a big meal before driving is not a good norm if you want to stay on the road for a long time. As big, hearty meals can render you sleepy and sluggish, making it pretty difficult to concentrate on the road. You will probably need to take a few extra stops on your journey if you are driving on a full stomach. Ensure you get relaxed during your stop.

The risks of driving long distances without a break

Irrespective of whether you feel like you need the stop or not, the guidelines for stopping are for a reason. The consequences could be severe if you choose to ignore them. Here are some of the risks of driving long distances without a break.

You'll run the risk of falling asleep at the wheel

You might be at full confidence that you never fall asleep, that you can easily control and say awake and that you have been driving for long-distance already and can go for more to reach the destination. The urge to sleep in nature is stronger than you think and it's easier than it seems to fall asleep without even realizing it. Though it seems the conditions are quite ok even after a long drive, get some rejuvenation to your thoughts, get some fresh air and have a coffee to book the energy levels. Without these stops, you are in the danger of falling asleep and it is a serious concern to both yourself and your fellow passengers.

Slower reaction times

The longer you drive without a break, the less concentration you'll be able to maintain, which will decrease your ability to react quickly to what's going on around you. This is particularly dangerous on the motorway, where you're driving at high speeds and you only have seconds to respond to a car braking suddenly or someone switching lanes without warning. Particularly in the Middle East taking a long drive in the highways needs much focus. Sticking to the rule of taking stops while in a drive in the Kuwait road will be much useful for you as a driver. Moreover, what is important is that ensure you take your drive in the vehicle that is well-matched to your needs. You can rent a car from Osoul House Car Rental the leading car rental provider in Kuwait.