The summer holidays are approaching, and with them, long car journeys… everyone wants to rest! And the travel time, the many traffic jams are tiring and even dangerous. But a trip needs to be prepared, which is why every year many associations recommend that users carry out certain checks before departure.
Prepare your trip
For your safety and that of others, getting enough sleep, preparing your luggage in advance, and having good eyesight are essential. Let's not forget that for driving, most information is perceived through vision.
Some tips for hitting the road with peace of mind and safety:
Your eyes:
- Have your eyesight checked by a healthcare professional before departure. More than a million drivers reportedly have an uncorrected or poorly corrected vision problem.
- Be careful with certain medications that affect vision.
- Wear a pair of glasses suited to your vision for driving and have another pair in case of loss, theft, breakage… wearing sunglasses will protect you from glare, reflection, and UV rays.
- For contact lens wearers or those with no visual impairment, wear class 2 or 3 sunglasses for sunny days; preferably choose polarized sunglasses.
- always keep a lens cloth and a cleaning spray for your glasses in your vehicle.
- Warning: driving is prohibited with class 4 sunglasses.
Your vision:
- Pay attention to your field of vision and blind spots; it must be clear 180° in front of you, and rearview mirrors help you with the rear.
- Respect speed limits: the faster the speed, the more our field of vision decreases and the more distorted our vision becomes. Indeed, objects on the road, cyclists, and other oncoming cars become blurrier as the speed increases.
- Be aware of the recovery time after being dazzled; this increases with age and can exceed 2 minutes. It is strongly recommended to wear anti-glare glasses, even blue light blocking glasses to protect against LED headlights.
- Pay attention to reaction time: one to two seconds pass between the moment an obstacle is seen and the moment one reacts.
- Take breaks at motorway service areas to relax and rest your eyes; drowsiness is the primary cause of accidents on motorways.
Your vehicle:
- Check the cleanliness of the windshields (inside and out), mirrors, and windows.
- Fill up on windshield washer fluid and check the condition of your wipers.
- Check the tires and the various lights of your vehicle.
- Do not let any object obstruct your fields of vision: front and rear.
- For two-wheelers, clean your mirrors and the visor of your helmet.
And most importantly, don't forget to clean your glasses!
