How long do you?

cars · Post by **cars** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:41 am

Our friends left this morning to drive home some 1,500 miles. They will be driving for at least "12" hours today before they stop for the night! I think that's too long! :guitarist

DRIVING ON A LONG JOURNEY HOW LONG DO YOU DRIVE BEFORE YOU STOP???

Cars :driving:

hotsauce · Post by **hotsauce** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:47 am

My husband drives because he says "you are the worst driver in the history of the world". I am not...have never had a wreck that was my fault (yes, knocking on something). Hub will drive for 12-14-16 hours without stopping. He is insane! Much, much too long! My job is to keep him awake.

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:54 am

When I was younger, hubby and I would take trips that were 12 hours on the road or longer, but we would also take turns driving and nap when it wasn't our turn. 12 hours is a long time, hopefully they will take a lot of breaks.

Philadelphia Eagle · Post by **Philadelphia Eagle** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:38 am

Some people like driving and are better at it than others.

My wife is an excellent driver and I am happy for her to drive on longer journeys.

It can be made part of the vacation if done sensibly - probably with breaks every 3/4 hours.

I myself don't particularly like long car journeys. When we visit relations up in New Hampshire we usually fly as the alternative is a 9-hour car journey along I 95 and the New Jersey Turnpike.

Not my idea of fun!!

minks · Post by **minks** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:54 am

I love to drive and be driven. I have been known to drive 12 hours only to stop one or 2 times for potty breaks. (Daughters travel well so that was a blessing, one sleeps one navagates)

I like to be driven as well and it is nothing to do the 12-13 hour trek as a passenger.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:22 pm

I've never driven anywhere over 2 1/2 hours, hubby won't let me, although I'm the one with the clean license and haven't put a scratch or ding on any of our cars! I drive our car daily, school run etc, but if we're going away anywhere he insists on driving as he 'used' to be a lorry driver and in his opinion he's better at it! I spend long journeys on the edge of my seat with my left foot constantly seeking the brake.

I need a break every three to four hours, firstly to calm my nerves with a ciggy!!!(don't smoke in car) and then to get a drink to take painkillers for my tension headache!!

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:24 pm

When I was 28 I loaded up the station wagon with the family and left Napa, California at 5 AM, stopping first at Flagstaff, Arizona for the night. Next stop for the night was Meridian, Mississippi and on the next day to Tampa, Florida.

Those long driving days are over. Now, three hours of continuous driving is my max.

mominiowa · Post by **mominiowa** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:33 pm

My sister has MS and lives in Colorado - which is 12 hours from our front step..Sometimes if she needs us we load up and out the door.. We stop only to gas up in Ogallala (SP?) and we are off...It doesn't ever seem that long becuase I love to drive..Now my hubby will sleep the whole 12 hours just to not listen to the kids fight over the DVD...LOL

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:04 pm

I am a veteran long distance driver.. :driving: I have driven 24hours straight. I do most of the driving, but sometimes we switch off. I won't drive if I'm sleepy that is when I stop..

john8pies · Post by **john8pies** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:12 am

In Britain they have tachographs (is that how you spell it?) in the cabs of lorries so they can`t drive for too long. Personally I think you should stop for a rest, stretch your legs, get some fresh air and drink some water every 3 hours or less, to keep your reflexes sharp. I`m not saying that you will have a crash if you drive for 12/14/16 hours or whatever, only that it`s more likely (and who wants even one crash)? Incidentally, I love hearing about driving across America (obviously goes back to when I saw Easy Rider in the 60s!); in Britain you could drive from John o`Groats to Lands End in less than that!!!

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 5:48 am

Working on the ambulance, we sometimes have to do long distance transfer (LDT's) ranging from 6 hours trips (up and back) to trips across several states. The hospital came up with a policy that we only drive 450 miles in one day. If the trip is longer than that, they put us up in a hotel and buy our meals, until the trip is done. I've not sure how many hours all that amounts to, they go by miles, and I'm not sure who came up with the numbers (probably some safety commity). I've never done one, but I hear the over-nighters are fun and profitable, as you get paid the entire time, even while you sleep.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:12 pm

Personally I can't drive for 12 hours without needing to have a pee, you must all have awesome bladder control.

I used to drive 3-4 hours driving down to london, you learn from your mistakes now I stop every couple of hours just for a break. The one and only time i have put a car off the road was due to microsleep driving to work one morning -you know how sometimes when you are doing the same journey every day and sometimes you arrive and realise you can't remember the journey? reasearch shows on a long journey your brain "sleeps" for a few seconds at a time. Tiredness is one of the biggest causes of accidents on our motorways. That's what I mean i nearly piled in to stationary traffic at 80mph, spun the car instead and wound up on the embankment.

Where I live in the summer you get a lot of drivers who have driven up from down south, you can always tell as you see them drifting across the motorway jerking awake and then continuing to drive. not taking regular breaks is the height of stupidity. I don't mind them killimg themselves but they are likely to jkill other people as well. It's not big, it's not tough it's just stupidity

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:55 pm

I tried to drive straight through to Yellowstone this Sumer, but misjudged and ended up there after dark..Then I was driving winding mountain roads with no signs in total blackness. Very Scary!

I personally never go more than about 8 hours before finding a hotel. A quick swim in the pool and then relaxing in the jacuzzi, with a beer and I feel a LOT better in the morning.

If you ever go driving, come by my country:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... D%26sa%3DG

hotsauce · Post by **hotsauce** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:24 pm

Wow!! Beautiful, Jives!!

BTS · Post by **BTS** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:55 pm

Boy this is a touchy subject with me............

I see people who can drive all they want.........some claim 24 hrs straight..

UNREGULATED and LEGAL too......................

I see huge motor homes with trailers behind them traveling all over the place unrestricted, but on the other hand, if you are a Commercial truck driver they (we) are restricted to 11 hrs of driving in a 14 hr period. After 11 hrs of driving you MUST take 10 hrs off.

You can't drive after 60 hrs of on duty (driving or not driving) in 7 days or 70 hrs in 8 days.

Seems there should be a way to monitor the driving of ALL people not just professionals?

hotsauce · Post by **hotsauce** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:59 pm

nice point BTS.

devist8me · Post by **devist8me** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 10:20 pm

Excellent pics Jives. I've been to a few of those places. Brings back memories.