Protecting Yourself When You Hit the Road*

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There are many ways to travel, yet driving across a beautiful country or two is on the bucket list for most people. Take Route 66, for example. Is there a more iconic destination? However, before you set off on your grand adventure, you should be aware that protecting yourself when you hit the road is perhaps the most crucial part of your vacation. Protection comes in various forms and includes insurance, planning and respecting the weather.

Find the Necessary Insurance

Insurance is a vital part of travel. Anything can happen while on vacation, and you need cover for such things as theft, accidents and healthcare. For instance, you might find the best motorcycle accident attorney in the country useful following a collision. But without insurance, you will have a difficult time defending yourself. Additionally, with the Covid-19 pandemic still active in many nations, you must find cover for the illness. If you don't, you run the risk of expensive medical bills in a foreign country. There might also be legal penalties.

Always Take Supplies

Further to finding the proper legal representation and insurance, you will protect yourself more by taking adequate supplies. Being on the road is fraught with dangers, and anything can happen at any time. For example, you might get a flat tire halfway across an isolated desert road. And it could be twenty miles from the nearest help. Therefore, food, water and a heat source would be highly beneficial. Always try to think of things that can go wrong and what you might need in those scenarios. Just a blanket can mean the difference between life and death. 

Be Aware of Local Laws

Depending on where you live, you might be liberalized and able to do pretty much what you please so long as it doesn't affect anyone else. According to your country's laws, you might enjoy the freedom of expression and free speech. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to indulge in such liberties. Some nations are strict about what you can do and say. For example, suppose you feel like a road trip through the Eastern Bloc nations. In that case, you must do your homework about local laws. For example, it is illegal to open a beer in the street in Poland, and food from the US is prohibited in Russia.

Know the Tourist Locations

There's not a single nation on the planet that doesn't have its criminal element. Typically though, most crime occurs in certain areas. And while tourist locations aren't free from corruption, you will be a lot safer if you stick to them. Fortunately, official and travel websites and blogs are excellent for local tourist information. Therefore, it is helpful to plan your journey through as many tourist locations as possible. This is also a great way to get to know a country since resorts, city centres, and family sites are often any nation's most culturally rich areas.

Plan Your Route

Further to know where the safest tourist locations are, it is highly advantageous to plan your holiday before setting off. Planning not only keeps you on track but allows you to take advantage of amenities along the way. For example, you can map out a journey that takes you through historic towns. Or you can plan so you are never more than a few miles away from help should anything happen. Traditional maps are a great way to prepare before you leave. However, modern GPS systems and apps like Google Maps provide specific information live updates.

Keep a Backup Phone

It's probably safe to assume you own a cell phone or smart tv device of some kind. As helpful as your personal phone is, purchasing a cheap but reliable backup phone might be beneficial. Keeping a backup phone will come in handy should something happen. Such things include losing your phone, having it stolen, or, more likely, running out of charge. You can get a cell phone very cheap these days. Just make sure you load it up with some of the apps you might need and fully charge it. Then switch it off and keep it somewhere safe until you need it.

Beware the Weather

As with travelling anywhere, you are beholden to the weather. We don't like to think we are held hostage by local climates, but we are. Fortunately, checking the weather report is easier than ever. With apps, internet connections and local TV and radio stations, you can get live updates concerning the weather wherever you are. However, you should still prepare for a change. For example, a trip through the rolling hills of the UK can change at the drop of a hat. The British weather is notoriously unpredictable, and there are many other places like it.

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*Collaborative Post