If
you are planning a road trip for the holidays, you might be dreading the long
haul. Furthermore, family road trips can
be arduous and mind-numbingly boring. Thankfully, there are ways you can
multitask on a road trip to make your drive productive and less
monotonous. While distracted driving is a fast way
into a ticket – or worse – getting into an accident, you can still make the
most of your trip without breaking the law.
Read further to learn how you can maximize your driving time, while
still keeping yourself and your family safe on your next road trip.
Reconnect With Your Family
Some
might say the whole objective of a family road trip is to reconnect with your
loved ones. However, family dynamics and
differing personalities can often lead to squabbles and bickering. This doesn’t have to be the case. These days, kids have their faces stuck in
their cell phones and tablets. So instead of having your kids huddled in the
back hovered over their screens, why not use your long road trip to get to know
them better? Play travel games, have a
sing-a-long, play a round of 21 questions.
You get the idea. There are tons
of opportunities to communicate, relate and reconnect with your family during
the long hours on a road trip.
Promote Your Business
If
you don’t have it already, get hands-free functionality for your car. This allows you to make business calls,
verbally contribute to business meetings, and take care of work details without
dialing or texting on your phone. This
can save a huge amount of time and stress when you return to work after your road
trip. You might also consider advertising
your business during your long haul.
Think about applying a wrap
design around your car that promotes your business. This allows you to get the word out about
your business as you roll on down the highway.
Catch Up on Recreational Reading
Well,
not actual reading. That would not be conducive to safe driving. We’re talking
about audiobooks. Depending upon the car
you drive, you might be able to stream the latest mystery novel, thriller, or
science fiction audiobooks from your dashboard.
Access apps on your car like Audible and listen to your favorite authors
as you wind down the miles to your destination.
If you don’t have, or can’t access audiobook apps in your car, then go
to the library. Most libraries allow you
to check out audiobooks you can play on your vehicle’s CD player.
Learn Something New
If
recreational reading isn’t your thing, that’s okay. Consider listening to educational programs on
your long road trip. Economics, world
history, theoretical physics, or mythology – the opportunity to increase your
knowledge is virtually endless with educational audiobooks. If you have enough time on the road, you
might even be able to start learning a new language!
Brainstorm, Set Goals, and Make
Mental Notes
Driving
long distances has a strange way of clearing the mind for many people. Perhaps it’s the constant droning of the road
or the lulling motion of driving that sets overactive minds in a more docile
disposition. Whatever the case, driving
an extended amount of time is a perfect time to think about your hopes, dreams,
and goals. Set your phone to record and start brainstorming out loud. You might be surprised at how uplifting and
revealing this exercise is. Furthermore,
you can use these mental audio notes for your benefit and implement them when
you get to your destination.
Touch Base With Friends and Family
We’re
all guilty of getting caught up in daily hustle and bustle. We get busy and distracted to the point of
neglecting the ones we love. Or, perhaps
you have distant relatives who you haven’t seen or heard from in an
interminable amount of time. If you can relate, a road trip is a perfect time
to activate the hands-free function in your vehicle and call those people
you’ve lost touch with. Pass the hours
on the road by calling and reaching out to friends or family members. They will love hearing from you, and catching
up will make the hours of road time pass in a blink of an eye.
The Last Word on Multitasking During
a Road Trip
Whatever you do or however you spend your time on your road trip, be sure to follow safety precautions such as wearing seatbelts, abstaining from texting, and following traffic laws. Having said that, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy your road trip, while simultaneously getting things done on the road. So the next time you have a road trip, be safe and stay productive!