Problem
Every time I pass a sign warning me about a service station on the UK motorway I have to decide whether to stop. Should you stop or not?
Answers
The reasons for stopping are:
1 tiredness,
2 toilets,
3 food and drink,
4 souvenirs,
5 information.
6 Petrol - car maintenance - rescue
The reasons for not stopping are:
7 Avoiding prolonging the journey
8 Protecting the contents / possessions in the car
9 Reaching appointments in time
10 Avoiding late in the day traffic build-up
1 Signs warn you that tiredness causes accidents.
If we are two travelling, we take turns driving and the passenger watches the road and the driver and talks to keep them alert.
2 Go before you leave home. Go whenever you stop - you don't want to have the urge to go when stuck in a three hour traffic jam. Carry some kind of container in case you need a potty in the car.
3 Remember food and water, to revive you so you are alert to drive, to raise morale.
Some drivers like coffee to keep themselves awake and alert and beat that sagging feeling. I prefer water to coffee to avoid the urge to go to the toilet.
4 The gifts are quite pricey but often very handy. If you didn't spend much on holiday and still have £20, time to buy a gift for yourself or a friend.
5 Information
At the entrance, just inside the doorway, is a large rack of leaflets about attractions in the area. Very handy. Tells you what to see, when it's open, if you can afford it, whether you will get there before closing time.
If you are near the end of your journey, time to read your directions and remember which junction you turn off. (You don't want to be distracted trying to read the junction number from a clipboard when your eyes should be on the road. An alternative is to write the destination junction and stick that where you can see it without taking your eyes off the road, or keep reading it as a reminder throughout the journey whenever you stop at traffic lights, traffic jams or for a break.
6 I stopped to call the AA from a garage at a service station, to be sure of not breaking down on the motorway. Somebody pointed out that it's a danger to run out of petrol and be stuck on the hard shoulder where a large vehicle or any driver not paying attention might run in the back of you.
If you are forced to stop, immediately put on your hazard warning lights. If you don't know where they are, ask somebody to show you - or consult the manual.
Checklist for loading your car:
Night before or week before, before you pack your suitcase, test the sapce available in the car. Put the empty suitcases in the boot (Americans say trunk). When buying new luggage, know the size of your car boot (keep the sizes in your diary or the inside cover of your holiday notebook).
Do the suitcases of the driver - and the suitcases of any passengers picked up en route fit into the boot of the car? Important to allow room for everybody to sit, avoid damage from flying objects, and make the car look empty when you park and get out to have a coffee.
Food
Drink
AA rescue number
Destination directions, written, remembered, visible.
Destination typed into Tom-Tom the night before.
Set radio or speaker for directions.
Put all luggage into one or two bags wyou can carry, in case you ever have to leave your vehicle, either to go to the toilet, or in the event or breakdown or accident.
Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com
AA route planner
theAA.com
RAC route planner
Street view
google maps
Author
Angela Lansbury
Every time I pass a sign warning me about a service station on the UK motorway I have to decide whether to stop. Should you stop or not?
Answers
The reasons for stopping are:
1 tiredness,
2 toilets,
3 food and drink,
4 souvenirs,
5 information.
6 Petrol - car maintenance - rescue
The reasons for not stopping are:
7 Avoiding prolonging the journey
8 Protecting the contents / possessions in the car
9 Reaching appointments in time
10 Avoiding late in the day traffic build-up
1 Signs warn you that tiredness causes accidents.
If we are two travelling, we take turns driving and the passenger watches the road and the driver and talks to keep them alert.
2 Go before you leave home. Go whenever you stop - you don't want to have the urge to go when stuck in a three hour traffic jam. Carry some kind of container in case you need a potty in the car.
3 Remember food and water, to revive you so you are alert to drive, to raise morale.
Some drivers like coffee to keep themselves awake and alert and beat that sagging feeling. I prefer water to coffee to avoid the urge to go to the toilet.
4 The gifts are quite pricey but often very handy. If you didn't spend much on holiday and still have £20, time to buy a gift for yourself or a friend.
5 Information
At the entrance, just inside the doorway, is a large rack of leaflets about attractions in the area. Very handy. Tells you what to see, when it's open, if you can afford it, whether you will get there before closing time.
If you are near the end of your journey, time to read your directions and remember which junction you turn off. (You don't want to be distracted trying to read the junction number from a clipboard when your eyes should be on the road. An alternative is to write the destination junction and stick that where you can see it without taking your eyes off the road, or keep reading it as a reminder throughout the journey whenever you stop at traffic lights, traffic jams or for a break.
6 I stopped to call the AA from a garage at a service station, to be sure of not breaking down on the motorway. Somebody pointed out that it's a danger to run out of petrol and be stuck on the hard shoulder where a large vehicle or any driver not paying attention might run in the back of you.
If you are forced to stop, immediately put on your hazard warning lights. If you don't know where they are, ask somebody to show you - or consult the manual.
Checklist for loading your car:
Night before or week before, before you pack your suitcase, test the sapce available in the car. Put the empty suitcases in the boot (Americans say trunk). When buying new luggage, know the size of your car boot (keep the sizes in your diary or the inside cover of your holiday notebook).
Do the suitcases of the driver - and the suitcases of any passengers picked up en route fit into the boot of the car? Important to allow room for everybody to sit, avoid damage from flying objects, and make the car look empty when you park and get out to have a coffee.
Food
Drink
AA rescue number
Destination directions, written, remembered, visible.
Destination typed into Tom-Tom the night before.
Set radio or speaker for directions.
Put all luggage into one or two bags wyou can carry, in case you ever have to leave your vehicle, either to go to the toilet, or in the event or breakdown or accident.
Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com
AA route planner
theAA.com
RAC route planner
Street view
google maps
Author
Angela Lansbury
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