Summer weather brings a more relaxed attitude and the prospect of at least one great trip away with friends or family. This is the time of year when kids are free from the school schedule and friends looking to spend some quality time together take advantage of longer days and more inviting outdoor temperatures. The road trip is a time-honored way to take advantage of the leisure time that summer often brings to the forefront. But heading away in your car, van, or RV demands more than a few additional considerations. For one thing, there are some emergency tools that should always be in your car, and if you’re missing one or more of these pieces of equipment, stocking up before a road trip is a must.

The actual task of driving to your destination is equally dominated by some important safety rules and mental checklists. It’s always important to follow the rules of the road, like maintaining a safe speed even if you find yourself driving on a straight segment of highway all alone. These five safety rules can help you get where you’re going with less stress and a much safer journey overall. That allows you and your fellow riders to make the most of the trip and minimize the potential for setbacks, issues, or complications that might otherwise spoil the fun.

One of the most important rules for safe driving on the highway involves an acknowledgment that most drivers do it wrong. One Progressive study found that just 16% of drivers use the far left lane for passing, or in other words: as it’s intended. Highways are built to accommodate high speed traffic and, generally speaking, exits will always be on the right. There is rarely an option to change direction or otherwise alter your course from the left lane. As a result, plenty of drivers treat this as the fast lane rather than as a purpose-built passing tool. Realistically, you’re not likely to get pulled over or receive a ticket for driving in the left lane, but this is a rule in every state across the country and so you could be cited for the practice.

Camping out in the left lane because you want to drive faster than the average speed of others around you on the highway can ultimately become a dangerous habit. Staying in this lane creates a barrier for others to get around slower traffic, and it can create additional slowdowns in the area around you. It’s also possible that your behavior can incite road rage in others. Driving in the left lane may feel like it won’t really impact others, but the ripple effects can extend far beyond your car.

Instances of bad behavior on the road can arise from all sorts of misunderstandings and other occurrences. If someone does something irritating near you, it can tempting to flip them off or yell out the window — this is always a bad idea. Road rage incidents can be immensely troublesome. The stranger in the other car has an unlimited set of potential decisions to make when an altercation occurs, and you have no way of understanding what they might do. Even if nothing ultimately comes of an altercation on the road, the aftermath can leave your focus frayed and make your own driving less safe, whether or not the other car pulls off the highway immediately.

On the other hand, there are signs that you might consider giving to other drivers. One of these is a warning flash to oncoming traffic that there’s a speed trap coming up. Since a district court ruling in 2014, flashing your lights to warn of speed traps has been definitively considered protected speech, but flashing your lights can still backfire — an irritated cop might pull you over, after all. It’s also worth noting that speed is often deadly, especially on highways and so engaging in this largely courteous behavior is a tacit acceptance of a dangerous driving habit that does ultimately kill thousands of people every year (nearly 12,000 in 2024 according to the NHTSA).

If you are driving, you should never pick up your phone. Any information that might need to be conveyed to others can be facilitated by one or more of the passengers in the car and doing it yourself is an incredibly dangerous maneuver, especially while traveling at high speeds on the highway. Passengers should be enlisted to provide information to other vehicles that may be traveling with you as part of a caravan, or loved ones back home who need to be updated on your progress. Of course, the same goes for finding directions, too.

Scouring the map for food options or a pit stop to fill up the gas tank and hit the head is frequently a job allocated to the front seat passenger. Drivers should make final decisions since they’re at the controls, but diverting your focus to look at options on a map can be deadly. The information gathering components of any decision should therefore remain in someone else’s hands. At 70 mph, your car travels nearly 350 yards in just 10 seconds. Looking away from the road for this short span can be the difference between smashing into a barrier around a gradual curve or hitting a slower car up ahead versus continuing safely on your way. There’s just no need for a driver to get involved in these attention-diverting subtasks. Keep your eyes on the road and maintain the safety of all your passengers.

On the road, there are always going to be unforeseen circumstances that can’t be avoided, like tires that go flat after hitting rubble near construction sites. However, foreseeable problems are worth planning for. You should replace your tires before a trip if they’re at the end of their lifespan. Checking your tires with the penny trick, and inspecting your brakes, lights, and windshield wipers gives you a good overview of the key mechanical systems that can either support a smooth road trip or become major barriers to your progress. The same treatment should be doled out for essential fluids, your battery health, and more. 

Giving your car a comprehensive check before a trip allows you to address any potential issues that might arise as a result of standard wear and tear, and potentially save you money on costly repairs far from home. There’s also timing to consider. A breakdown in a remote area can lead to major delays in performing even simple fixes. And that’s to say nothing of the practical matter of safety to contend with. Experiencing a tire blowout on the highway can be incredibly dangerous — minimizing the potential for this outcome simply involves a pre-trip checklist.

The 3-3-3 rule is a solid guideline for a successful road trip, and it breaks down into three important categories of route planning. The final “3” in this rule of thumb is to log no more than 300 miles in a single day of driving. This ensures that you’re not too tired to effectively navigate safely. Driving on the highway involves hours of sitting mostly stationary, but even though you’re not physically exerting yourself during much of this activity, your brain is constantly on high alert. 

Fatigue manifests itself in many ways, and one of these comes in the form of slower decision making capability. There are no heroes out on the highway, and if you find yourself feeling drowsy it’s essential to pull over and take a break or change drivers before continuing on your way. This part of the 3-3-3 rule is designed to limit that outcome. By spreading your trip over a realistic driving timeline, you’ll have more time to enjoy the journey rather than fighting to stay alert. And that’s a large part of what road tripping is all about!

The remaining two pillars of this rule suggest allocating at least three nights in your destination as well as plotting an arrival time before 3:00 p.m. This gives you ample time to check in and set up camp when you arrive, or make alterations to the plan if necessary before nightfall descends upon your travel group. Similarly, giving yourself three days to enjoy your destination provides enough time to get the most out of the trip before turning around and heading home.