How often should you take breaks on long trips?

If you plan to take a long-distance drive in or through Kentucky, you might be tempted to just drive as far as you possibly can without resting. While this might cut down on the time it takes you to get to your destination, it can also leave you exhausted and unable to focus or react well. This can in turn lead to accidents.

To avoid accidents, you need to get a lot of rest when you drive. Everyday Health states that a healthy, easy road trip is much more than just pulling over to take a five minute stretch break every few hours. You should be breaking frequently throughout the drive, even if you don’t feel tired. If you’re already exhausted by the time you pull over, your reaction times and focus have also already been suffering. Stretch and rest breaks should happen every 20 or 30 minutes, especially for those with back issues.

You should also make sure to eat frequently. Pull over whenever you need to have a meal, and if snacks are big enough to take your eyes off the road, you should get off the road for that, too. You should be snacking throughout the trip. Just make sure you pack healthy snacks like nuts or fruit, and drink plenty of water as you go. It may be tempting to skip so you don’t have to use the bathroom, but that will only make dehydrated. This can make you feel cranky, tired, prone to headaches, and it will also hurt your kidneys.

Pay attention to the needs of your body. Getting to your destination faster is not worth losing concentration in the middle of the drive and getting into a crash.