Garth
Cane offers some common-sense ideas to make your time on
the road safer and move enjoyable.
Whether we are retired or
vacationing we should always plan our drives to avoid city
traffic rush hours. Rather than travel through a city during
rush hour, it is sometimes better to pull into a shopping
mall and have a meal while you let the traffic go by.
As we grow older, our eyesight and hearing are not as keen
as they were in our teenage years. We need twice as much
light to see and are more easily blinded temporarily by
oncoming headlights or lights in our rear view mirrors.
It takes about eight times as long for our eyes to re-adjust
after having a bright set of headlights shine in our eyes.
This is a good reason for not driving at night and for entering
a campground earlier in the day when more sites are available.
When we are driving we need to be conscious of sounds around
us, so it is not a good idea to have the stereo system blaring
out loud, especially as we travel through heavy traffic.
Before
we leave a campground, take the time to check around your
unit to be sure that you have unplugged the electrical cord,
stored the water and sewer hose, and picked up any levelling
blocks that have been used. As you walk around the unit,
look down at your tires to see if there is any unusual signs
of under inflation or wear. I always bend down near the
rear of our motorhome to visually check the distance between
the dual tires at the rear. If one side shows a narrower
space, then their must be under inflation on that side.
Turn on your four-way flashers to see that all the turn
signals and brake lights actually work. If you are towing
a trailer or car, be sure your tail lights are in proper
working order. Have you lowered your TV antenna ? It makes
a real mess is if you drive under a tree with it still up.
If you are towing a car, take a look to be sure that it
is in neutral with the parking brake off, so that the wheels
are turning as you pull out of the campsite.
It is a good idea for your spouse to learn to drive the
RV. If itŐs their first time behind the wheel, select a
stretch of road between two rest stops where they will not
have to contend with traffic and too many turns. Do not
sit in the passenger seat during that first time at the
wheel, but stand behind so that you see what they see. Do
not give a lot of commands. An extra driver can give relief
for an hour or two on a long trip, and if something happens
to the driver's health, such as a sprained ankle or worse,
then it makes sense for the spouse to be able to drive if
necessary.
...
Before
we leave a campground, take the time to check around your
unit to be sure that you have unplugged the electrical cord,
stored the water and sewer hose, and picked up any levelling
blocks that have been used. As you walk around the unit,
look down at your tires to see if there is any unusual signs
of under inflation or wear. I always bend down near the
rear of our motorhome to visually check the distance between
the dual tires at the rear. If one side shows a narrower
space, then their must be under inflation on that side.
Turn on your four-way flashers to see that all the turn
signals and brake lights actually work. If you are towing
a trailer or car, be sure your tail lights are in proper
working order. Have you lowered your TV antenna ? It makes
a real mess is if you drive under a tree with it still up.
If you are towing a car, take a look to be sure that it
is in neutral with the parking brake off, so that the wheels
are turning as you pull out of the campsite.