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Long journeys can be stressful at the best of times, but if you find yourself travelling with a full car of people that must be entertained for the entire length of a journey it can be even more stress inducing. Tantrums, bathroom stops and other family related distractions can not only put you off kilter when it comes to timings, it can also take your attention off the road, when you are too busy thinking about the passengers in the back.

Travelling on the roads with the family in tow soon? Fear not, the traffic safety barrier experts Bull Barrier explain some of the ways you can make long car journeys that little bit easier for you and the family.

Plan

As with any long car journey, the safest way to reach your destination is to plan your journey in advance. That way you won’t get caught out by closed roads, poor weather or any other nasty surprises that may arise on the roads. Make sure you check the roads, know your journey and follow an up-to-date and fully charged sat nav to help you on your journey.

It is worth making sure all mobile phones and any other digital devices you may use on your journey have full charge and if possible bring with you a functioning charger adapter for the car. Even if you don’t have charging points in your car, many cars still use adapters that fit into the cigarette lighter.

Prepare

Long journeys can be tricky enough with children but they can be ten times more stressful without snacks and water to keep their hunger at bay. Sandwiches and a flask of something warming can take minutes to prepare before you set off but this small amount of preparation can be a small price to pay compared to an emergency family meal out at a service station. If you are travelling late at night, make sure to bring pillows and throws so the children can get some sleep and so they’re typical bed time routine is not disturbed too much. Setting off later in the evening can be a great method of travel with young children, more likely to contribute to a peaceful drive especially as the roads are typically quieter too.

Make sure children are entertained

Any parent will know just how tricky it can be to entertain young children during car journeys. Bring plenty of toys or a mobile device for them to watch their favourite program. Just make sure that the volume is low enough so that it does not divert your attention away from the roads.  Better yet, bring child friendly headphones. Failing that, good old fashioned car games like I spy can be a lot of fun for younger children. Just don’t take your eyes off the road if you want to avoid the road traffic barriers!

Share the driving

Keeping the children entertained and comfortable is one thing, but make sure to keep an eye on yourself too. Sleep deprivation can be incredibly dangerous to you and other roads users and a growing body of research is their to show that tiredness and a lack of sleep can be just as damaging to our driving abilities and reflexes as alcohol. Wherever possible, try and share the journey with another driver to lesson the load and to keep both parties feeling fresher on arrival.

Plan breaks

Long journeys with children can make breaks at service stations inevitable. But there are means and ways to ensure that toilet stops don’t set you back time wise. Plan service stop offs and remind children of them often. This way you can avoid too many spontaneous trips to the service station.