How to Make Road Trips Bearable for the Forgotten Driver

Road trips are looked at by lots of people as roads to adventure, but then there are some people who view road trips as long, boring rides in a car. That mentality on road trips is shared among adults and kids alike.

I’m sure we can all think back to when we were kids and were forced to take those long family road trips that were absolutely miserable. I can see the station wagon now. Back then we didn’t have all the luxuries that we have now, so road tripping is nowhere near as terrible now as it was back then.

When we played car games, we would look on the highway and pick out a car, then tell our family members to guess which car we picked out (worst game ever), or we played “punch bug,” where whoever saw a Volkswagen Beetle car first would punch the closest person to them in the arm (also a terrible game).

Car games now can be played over multiple devices, whether it’s a cell phone, laptop, or tablet. This advancement in technology makes road trips more entertaining, and definitely helps the car ride go smoother… not so much for the driver, but it’s a breeze for the passengers now.

The driver is one part of road trips that everyone forgets about. We’re so caught up in complaining about the drive, and we’re not even the one doing the driving! So just this once, we’re going to pay tribute to the road trip driver. Take a look at how we can make road trips better for the road trip driver, which essentially will allow everyone to benefit from the trip!

Listen to the Driver’s Favorite Music

This might sound like no biggie, but it indeed can make or break a road trip. When it comes to road trips, all riders should have their own set of headphones. With the driver taking on the responsibility of getting everyone to the destination safely, the driver should have control of the music being listened to in the car, since everyone else has other distractions they can engage in… it’s just road trip etiquette.

As the driver, it can be very distracting to have music playing that they don’t like. The driver might be into country music, but the kids have pop music playing in the car. For the driver, that kind of music can make him want to throw the whole radio system out the window! So when on a road trip, be mindful of the driver and let him have control of the music… especially when you can just plug headphones into your phone and listen to whatever type of music you choose.

Offer to Help With Driving

Offering to help drive is one of the biggest helps to the driver that a passenger can offer. This kind gesture is especially helpful when traveling with kids! Not saying that kids aren’t the best travel partners, but they require quite a bit of attention and assistance, depending on how long the ride will be.

Families that travel to tournaments in support of their little athletes, can definitely experience the road trip blues, especially when you’re traveling somewhere different every weekend, and it’s the same driver every trip. The husband usually drives, while the wife lets him drive!

Even with girls trips, the driving really should be split up among all the girls, just for the simple fact that everyone is adults and has their driver’s license. There will probably be whining over who drives first because most women don’t really enjoy driving, especially on long road trips… that’s what their husbands or boyfriends are for!

Stop at Roadside Attractions That the Driver Chooses

Whether it’s the largest ball of gum or the world’s largest collection of insect skeletons, you let the driver get his form of roadside entertainment. It may seem stupid to you, but it may be the very thing your driver needs to push you all on through that last stretch till you get to your destination!