How Many Hours Can You Safely Drive?

Whether you are driving to your vacation destination or traveling for work, road trips are a great way to get off the beaten path to experience different communities and natural wonders. If you are not accustomed to spending hours per day in your car, it can be difficult to determine how quickly you should aim to reach your destination.

How Long Should I Drive?

The number of miles you can reasonably expect to get under your belt per day depends on several factors, including whether you are traveling alone or sharing the work with another driver, traveling with children and sticking to the highway or going through cities.

When Traveling Alone

If you are traveling alone, consider your time behind the wheel as you would a typical 9-hour workday. Plan to stop every two hours, including two 15-minute breaks and a half-hour lunch break. If you are traveling at 70 miles per hour on average, this allows you to cover about 500 miles per day. Slowed or heavy traffic, tolls and route changes may impact how much ground you ultimately cover during that time frame.

When Traveling with Another Driver

Sharing the driving burden with at least one other person ensures that you get longer breaks and may even be able to rest your eyes throughout the journey. However, do not plan on each person taking on eight hours of drive time.

Even if you and your fellow driver trade off every couple of hours, traveling is tiring and dozing while sitting upright in a moving vehicle is not the same as napping while laying down. At the end of eight hours on the road, both drivers are likely to feel equally tired. Plan to cover about 700 miles if there are two or more drivers.​

Road Trip Tips

Plan Your Entertainment

Radio stations fade in and out as you travel, so do not plan to rely on the radio for entertainment. Put together a playlist of your favorite songs, find an interesting podcast or buy or borrow an audio version of a book you have wanted to read.

Make the Most of Your Stops

Every time you stop, take a few minutes to stretch your legs, fill your gas tank and replenish your snacks.

Have a Plan

Things like sporting events and graduations can cause hotels to fill up fast, and you may not be able to get a last-minute room. Book your hotels ahead of time.

Get Comfortable

Forget fashion and build your road trip attire based on what you are most comfortable in.

Staying Safe with Nevada Insurance Enrollment

Flat tires, accidentally locking your keys in your car or getting into a fender bender can be extra stressful when you are away from home. Adding roadside assistance to your auto insurance can ensure that if the unexpected happens, you can get fast help. Talk to an auto insurance agent to learn more about adding this optional coverage to your policy.