Especially if you go by car to the long-awaited vacation – and every second German does – the vacations begin with a strain. After all, driving a car during the peak travel season is no pleasure, as traffic jams and heat put extreme strain on drivers and passengers. To arrive safely and reasonably relaxed at the beach or in the mountains here are some tips.
First-aid kit and medicines
Just imagine the search for a pharmacy in a foreign country, the tedious explanation of symptoms and medical conditions. How much easier it is to carry a well-stocked first-aid kit for the most common illnesses, such as a stomach bug or a cold. In addition to bandages, fever thermometer, tweezers, scissors and quick wound dressing, the following medications are useful, almost all of which are available over-the-counter at pharmacies:
- Disinfectant (70 percent alcohol, iodine).
- Burn and wound ointment
- Painkillers and antipyretics
- Means against travel sickness
- Means against vomiting when the stomach is spoiled by unaccustomed food
- Diarrhea remedy, important just for children is an electrolyte-glucose mixture to return fluid and minerals to the body
- Ointment or gel against insect bites and sun allergy
Chronically ill people should pack a sufficient amount of the usual medicines (eg, hypertension drugs, heart medicines, insulin, etc.), because they can not be obtained everywhere in the usual quality.
Check first aid kit in the car
In addition to the first-aid kit, of course, a standardized first-aid kit belongs in the car. But after a few years, it is easy to forget what should be in it: The first-aid kit must contain an aluminum emergency blanket, disposable PVC gloves, safety pins and first-aid scissors. In addition, gauze bandages, rapid wound dressings, bandage cloths, bandage packs, triangular cloths, compresses, wound dressings, adhesive plasters. It should also be remembered that the box is in the car year in and year out, and is therefore exposed to heat and cold. The material can suffer from this. The disposable gloves should therefore be changed after one or two years, because the material becomes brittle and tears when put on. Attention should also be paid to the expiration dates of the dressing material. Expired products should be removed and replaced. It may be worthwhile to get a new first aid kit right away. Anyone who is unsure should take the first aid kit to the pharmacy and have it checked.
Tips against travel sickness
No one can swallow medication against nausea all the time. And children in particular suffer from it. The culprit is usually the organ of equilibrium, which has to deal with conflicting information when you read while driving: The equilibrium organ reports movement (driving), the eyes report standstill because they concentrate on one point for a long time. Avoiding reading, looking out the window, taking lots of small breaks, light snacks and getting enough fresh air can sometimes prevent the most nausea.
Diet and drinking
From sweet drinks, countless cups of coffee or even the hearty motorist plate with fries and pork knuckle you should not eat at all. It is a misconception that sweets maintain the ability to concentrate for a long time. A short-term energy boost is indeed achieved, because the blood sugar level rises when eating sweets. But then the blood sugar level suddenly drops again, ravenous hunger sets in, and concentration wanes. Fruit, vegetables (tomatoes, carrots) for in-between meals, a light lunch consisting of salad, soups, quark dishes, etc. do a better job. Drinking is very important: water, fruit juices mixed with water or herbal teas are a sensible alternative to cola and lemonades. Coffee flushes the water out of the body, and the much-vaunted wake-up effect of caffeine quickly wears off. Stopping, moving in the fresh air and drinking plenty of fluids help against fatigue.
Set air conditioners correctly
It has been scientifically proven that at a temperature of 35 °C in the car, the driver’s reaction time deteriorates by more than 65% during a 1.5-hour drive. Lucky who owns an air conditioner – otherwise only very many breaks, every one to two hours, will help on trips to the south. D
he air conditioner should be aimed so that it does not blow directly into the face.It must, in order to achieve a temperature of 22 to 25 degrees in the interior, be set to 15 degrees cooling. At the beginning of the trip when it is very hot, you should initially open the window slightly to let the warm air escape.
Driving off in the morning
Before a night drive, it is essential to be rested. So it is not a good idea to set off directly after a hard day’s work. It has been proven that the performance of an overtired driver drops to zero between three and four in the morning, drastically increasing the risk of accidents. Therefore, the best time to start driving on vacation is in the morning.
Important telephone numbers for the journey
- ADAC address database of German-speaking doctors: +49 89 76 76 76
- ADAC roadside assistance in Germany from a landline: 01 80 22 22 2
- ADAC roadside assistance from any cell phone network without area code: 22 22 22
- ADAC roadside assistance from abroad: +49 89 22 22 22
