Preparations Before The Journey S.No.

Vehicle Check up: 1 tyre pressure spare tyre Check airfilter check coolant level check radiator water check jack check hoses (hoses are not brittle and cracked) check belts (A worn or loose belt can cause the engine to overheat) check brake fluid

Check

Get a good Map: There are various maps & map books available, ideally get map book which will have all the states map which can be used for all of your future journeys & a big map of the state to\thru which you will be going\passing. the map books give you quick reference & an approx distance while the detailed big map will give you more details & almost accurate distances between various destinations. If possible mark your way i.e. the one which you have decided to go with a marker for easy reading while traveling. they sometime also have location of fuel pumps & eat out places (state tourism restaurants) which again can be marked. One such good map books is by 'ttk' Schedule your journey: Yeah using the map schedule your days of journey how much you would be traveling in a day & where will you be putting at nights. You must schedule it in such a manner that you always reach a place where you can lodge (preferably a city) before your sleeping time i.e. avoid being mid way at nights you must be near towns at night. Shouldn't take a car fresh out of service on a long drive. Drive it for a couple of days to make sure that everything is fine. You don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere courtesy someone forgetting to tighten a nut! Prior to the journey make sure you have some good sleep behind you -- this is very important for maintaining concentration on long drives Avoid driving between 2am and 5/6am. Even if you have rested and are refreshed someone who has been driving all night may doze off. If you follow news well , then its fine as you'd know if there is any state Bandh etc. on a particular day What Stuff To Carry?

A long nylon rope: It will be needed for toeing your or sum1 else's vehicle in case of a brake down, or even for tying any extra baggage you might have acquired during the journey. You must have approx. 20 feet of nylon rope so that it can be doubled for more strength. A pack of engine oil & coolant: These two are the most probable components which you may run out of in a journey or you may not found the one you use regularly Additional tyre tube: In case of puncture in an area where you may find a puncture wallah who doesn't have proper sealant for repairing the puncture or if you are in hurry. An air pressure gauge & if possible a foot air pump:again very important for obvious reasons Extra toolkit i.e. the one besides the standard ones: The basic toolkit in cars do not suffice for various problems which crop out from nowhere during a long journey. Also it will be good if you carry small pieces of cloth for washing the vehicle etc. they can also be used to damp the vibration caused by various tools kept in the boot.

Some Turmeric powder pouches:Now most of you must be thinking "carrying Turmeric & chilli powder pouches this is ridiculous, is he mad" Now hold your horses & let me explain in case of an accident where you radiator breaks or develops a leakage put some turmeric powder in the radiator it will act as a sealant. remember its only for cracks & not on breakdown of the radiator

A rod steering lock:May or may not be required but gives an additional protection since your number plates invites thieves (they tell the people you are not a localite)

Music: Try to have cds\ cassettes of those songs which do not induce you to sleep & which keep you active. Try not blasting music in areas where you will be putting up coz this way you will tell the thieves you have got something of their interest

Duplicate Keys: Always carry these & dont keep it in suitcases or in bags which are kept in the car while you leave it for snacks etc, it should be with sum one other than the driver just case the driver forgets the keys inside the vehicle. Mobile phone with roaming facility: Helpful in contacting any one in case of distress

10

11

Some Weapons of small destruction: this is again very important if you are covering a patch which is dacoit prone ( yes there are some patches like these in states like MP & UP wherein you have to move in convoys at night under police protection) so the thing which u should carry along with you could be - Small chilli powder pouches to throw in attackers eyes or some chilli spray etc - a lathi or preferably an iron rod ( not big just a feet or two long with a bent sharp edge) - a gun only if you have a license Remember all of this must be reachable at the time of an emergency I mean rod in the boot wont be of any help, keep it preferably in the gloves compartment & the rods by your seat's side i.e. between the door & your seat.

12 13 14 15

Take a great camera (preferably digital) with you for a good road trip. Chargers for the camera and phone. Many people forget this. A Powerful torch [something which will last longer/rechargeble] A Serrated Knife, [The kind with hacksaw like blade/with sharp front edge] I keep a fiscars which doesnt need sharpening. A pen/pencil set [ one in pocket and one in pen holder stuck somewhere inside the car.]

16

17 18 19 20 21

A good/expensive key ring. [usually you wont forget it in wayside dhaba then) A Unviersal Plug Adapter [to charge batteries] Sunglasses Sunscreen lotion Medical & first-aid kit 1. Antisceptic Cream 2. Medicines for Fever, Cold(You catch cold or fever due to change of climate specially while you travel to hills) 3. Pudin Hara or antacid.(To releive you of any acid relate stomach pain which is common when one eats outside in a different city) 4. Pain Releivers. (To help you in releiving of long sitting and traveling stress and pain) 5. Vitamin B, C(During the travel it is common that one loses salts) 6. ORS solutions. and If you wear specs dont forget to take a spare with you.

22 23 24 25 26

Binoculars Water Bottle i think a pair of jumper cables is very important as it can help u in jumpstarting ur car in case of a battery breakdown. spare fuses and spare head-light bulbs A mug to wash the car

27

I also carry an Emergency repair lamp with an extra long cable that connects to the cigarette lighter point. This is pretty useful if you want to inspect parts of your car at night. Its very light and is usually stored inside the spare wheel well. You have a map, just find out the telephone numbers of few police station , Highway patrol & emergency service on your way to the destination & note it down in the notepad

28

29

Keep a note book and pen handy with you. This will be helpful, if you want to note down names and numbers while you are on a conversation over phone Also take photostat copies of RC, Insurance & licence (if possible get it attested by Gazetted officer). If stopped by Outstation Police, show this copy instead of original. And also get fuel bills from all the filling stations. This will help you to prove that you are on transit.

30

31

Checking the condition of your spare tyre and the tools for replacing it, like the jack and wheel spanner. Most of us dont check this and get stuck on the road when your jack is missing or the spare tyre don't have enough air preassure List of hotels / motels / lodges enroute so that you can call in advance and check in, should program change for some reason It would be desirable to have a list of cashless mediclaim hospitals in the area of your travels keep a list of addresses of authorised service centres and phone numbers of helplines along your route Make a copy of the key on a flat key blank and keep it in the wallet, this comes in handy at times

32

33

34

35

36

While on the road, watch out for pot-holes, speed-breakers, road dividers, unmanned level crossings and cross-roads -- these can come upon you with no warning, espcially at night. In particular road dividers can be virtually inviisible at night in the glare of the headlights of oncoming vehicles. And you might miss crossroads and level crossings altogether if you are not alert -- highly dangerous, needless to say. In case your wipers conk off on a rainy day, buy a packet of Cigarettes and wipe the wind screen with the tobacco and water does'nt stick. Another lesson - check the wiper blades thoroughly and junk it before you realise in the middle of a thunderstorm that it is scratching the windscreen because the rubber is coming off. I am going to keep a spare pair during my long drives from now on. a small box of wet tissues (I prefer lemon flavored-Really refreshing) Great for night drives. Spare cash, do not rely on atm's fully. Carry a cake of soap' - Yes, it sometimes serves other purpose also than just washing our hands. If you encounter a fuel leak through the fuel line, you simply have to rub the cake at the crack/cut and let the soap get embedded therein. this way you can prevent the fuel from leaking till the time you get it repaired/replaced.

37

38

39 40

41

42

Mix a little shampoo with the water in windshield washing. This clears the grime on the wind shield every time you spray water on the windshield and use the wipers. People travelling in high altitudes and sub zero conditions(where windshield washer water freezes) may put rum instead of water. Rum will not freeze in those conditions. Avoid eating oily food. Avoid unknown spicy food. Best is to have bread Jam/ omlet/boiled egg etc. Try to eat fruits Chew mouth fresheners or chewing gums while traveling. It does keep you awake during long journeys Wear cotton trousers or 3/4th pants

43

44

45 46 47 48

Drive slowly thru villages & towns, a minor accident may ruin your complete trip. Keep original documents of your car & original Driving licence with you.

49

Avoid wearing expensive jewelries or even fake. It may attract thieves.

50

Stock enough food as you dont know where you will get a dhaba\hotel which is hygienic too. Also keep lots of water, say 4-5 liters to be on safe side. You can keep some cold drinks too if thats what you prefer but only in addition to water. vaccum flasks shaped like a regular water bottle, Very effective, Water stays cold for more than 18 hours. Carrying M-Seal, especially the wet variety, can come in handy to seal leaks, Duct tape is also useful Carry anti-fungal powder on long drives to sprinkle inside your shoes and prevent shoe/sock odour (the powder kills the bacteria). Always keep two umbrellas in the boot of my car as a permanent feature Just want to add that if you are only driver in the car, carry a spray of pain relief e.g. moov or relispary or iodex balm. Driving at a stretch can lead to sudden cramps in the leg muscles, especially if you are dehydrated (happens with ac on and skipping few drips). It is good to carry a "monkey spanner" - can adjust the jaws for different size of nuts and can also be used as a pipe wrench. If you have a kid (say less than 2 years old) Babyseat is THE first item in the checklist. we carry a sleeping bag and a yoga mat. The mat comes in really handy as any stop becomes a mini picnic! The sleeping bag - well its a pillow, bed, shawl, curtain. Many many uses On The Road

51

52

53 54

55

56

57

58

Follow the signs:Very important especially in case of road diversions. Driving at Nights: As said try driving at night only on the roads known to you( by that I mean where you have been before). Driving at night has its own advantages & disadvantages here they are Advantages - Engine at its best less heating hence can be revved more so less time more distance - Minimum number of two wheelers & bullock karts, again less time more distance

- Good signaling with headlights without honking, you know whose coming & whos behind you Disadvantages - Most dreaded you may fall asleep - May miss important road signs & end up at an altogether different location - May hit pedestrians or vehicles which do not have proper indicators or reflectors - Very dangerous in dacoit prone zones Clean all the mirrors & glasses regularly: try to make it a point of washing all the mirrors(rear view) & the front & rear windshields every time you halt & especially before it gets dark. Washing tips: Always dry the glasses after washing by a paper & preferably a news paper as the print ink acts as polish for the glass & they dont leave water marks like cloths. Take proper halts: Its necessary to give both the vehicle & your self regular break, youre not on a racing circuit so enjoy the scenery on the way & make your trip more memorable. After every 3 (three) hours give a ten minutes gap at least, during which, you get out of the vehicle , drink plenty of water, make it a point to drink more fluids ,move your legs and then splash water on the windscreen and clean it. Keep checking the fuel level:Very important check fuel level & refuel it as & when possible unlike in city where you fill up at 'E' mark, also keep asking people how long is the next fuel station. Use proper signaling:The signaling on the highways is in way or the other different than that in city. a) Most of the bus\truck drivers who are going at constant speeds keep their right indicator blinking, this means that the person from behind may not need to honk & can simply overtake that bus\truck

b) Never overtake any vehicle without getting a clear signal from him the signal could be either a right go ahead signal or a right indicator, he may also ask you not to overtake & that could be due to various reasons such as an oncoming vehicle, he might himself be trying to overtake a vehicle in front of it c) After overtaking try to give a left indicator if you are going back to the left most lane this is necessary specially in those cases where your overtaking a vehicle & the oncoming vehicle is nearing you fast.

d) an exemption to point b could be that sometimes when you can see that there is no oncoming traffic & the vehicle in front of you is not giving you any pass signal to go ahead, you can safely overtake it as he may not be giving signal due to no oncoming traffic

e) Use headlight pass switch for overtaking & also for stopping or slowing an oncoming vehicle which is overtaking & you feel is coming direct towards you f)Use proper high or low beam while driving g) You may keep your headlights on in daytime if you are on a road where you have to overtake frequently h) Do not honk unnecessarily if the vehicle in front of you gets pissed then he may not let you overtake Maintain a trip log: Again good for cherishing the memories & very helpful for future journeys & can be used as reference by you as well as others, the thing that can be recorded are - Fueling at respective odo readings ( will help in finding cost per Km or mileage) - Places to eat, refuel & watch out for beautiful sceneries - Road condition on different patches - No of national highways covered i.e. NH-17, etc - Time taken between various destinations & for the whole journey This is for roads without dividers. For heavens sake do not overtake when the road is turning left! You cannot see oncoming traffic. And what if someone on the other side of the turn is also overtaking? While we all know the speed at which we are travelling, we generally do not realise how fast we are going. As a thumb rule, when you are doing 100 kmph you are travelling about 100 feet per second, at 120 kmph you are doing about 120 feet per second. When you keep this at the back of your mind it helps to put things in perspective.

10

11

Keep a safe distance. Follow the three second rule. This rule says that there should be a gap of least three seconds between two cars when they pass the same spot.

12

You should never make the mistake of following someone too closely. You will not have enough reaction time if he slams on the brakes or crashes. If someone is following you very closely, move out of the way and let him pass.

13

in the innove manual with regard to desiel engines after a long continuous drive of speeds exceeding 80km/hr the engine should be left to idel for a couple of minutes & never switched off immediatly as the pumps get oil circulated & radiator helps cool the hot parts, I am sure the above post was for petrol cars in mind, just thought the desiel car owners should be aware of this fact, actually its quite difficult to practice since as soon as we stop the hand turns off the ignition instictively. should just remind ourselves to avoid doing that

14

I remember reading in my Ford Fiesta Petrol manual that the engine should be allowed to idle for 30 seconds before switching off. I have noticed that after I idle the car for around 30 seconds the rpm meter shows the idling rpm drop from around 900 to 700, which is when I typically switch off the engine. always get the car cleaned at the hotel where you are staying to avoid mud deposition Other tid bits Alternatively (if you didnt have a pump) you could have just disconnected the fuel pipe under the hood and let it hang low and see if it broke the vaccum, and if not.. then you could suck on that end of the pipe and be ready to move your mouth real quick coz petrol doesnt taste so great Whatever may be the reason do not park the vehicle at the edge of the roads ( this may happen if you the road is not wide enough to keep the vehicle off the road especially during the night times)

15

I used to carry a bottle of coolant in my car but recently when my mechanic (educated and Maruti authorised) saw this he said you should never add new coolant to the coolant chamber in case you find the level has dropped. Not even the same brand and exactly the same grade. He explained that once a coolant is being used in the car, its viscosity (stickiness) changes and the viscosity of the new coolant, even if it is the same brand and same grade, will not match with the one that is inside the chamber. So either you completely drain out the existing coolant and fill afresh with new coolant or if you are in the middle of nowhere you add distilled water and try to reach a proper service station where they will change the coolant and check why it had gone down.

A truck driver that you waved to for letting you pass way back can turn out to be the best buddy on the road at times of real need. It is not possible for loaded trucks to break their motion abruptly, the load may actually break into the cabin of the truck, but rest assured they will brake to help you out if need be; so be considerate to other road users, earn some nods in thanks and overall have an enjoyable trip! avoid taking state highways

The first signs of the driver feeling loss of concentration (drowsiness, sleepiness) is to increase the volume of the audio system, then open the window to get fresh air, they seldom work & the drivers who have experienced the drowsy problem well enough know that its very common to all & you just cant shake it off, have to pull over, get down, walk a bit, eat something light, Tea/coffee, wash the face preferably with soap & water to get better freshness, have a soft clean towel while driving to wipe the face often as sweaty face feels more tired, best of all the suggestions is to have a small nap in the driver seat (after pulling over of course) even for 10 15 minutes, have a face wash & proceed, that will easily give a couple of hours of quality concentrations.