Going for a self drive trip in Uganda? Either you are traveling with your family or alone to a certain tourism destinations like a national park or a serene place for a picnic, you have to put some driving tips in your mind in order to avoid accidents, traffic and make the journey a very comfortable one and they are as follow:
When going to for a long distance drive, the traveler has to make sure that he/she gets enough sleep so that the body gets enough rest to get ready for tomorrow’s long expedition without accumulating serious fatigue.
The fatigue sometimes leads to getting stressed which may ruin your mood for the trip or at times leads the driver to making careless mistakes that can lead to accidents. In addition, the traveler has to eat enough food while going for a trip as this the food gives him/her enough energy to stay long on the sterling.
Make stopovers for refreshment and stretching your body as it is not good for the body to be in one posture for some hours as it might get paralyzed while driving and this may lead to causing an accident as the body may not have enough control over the car. Always pullover and get some fresh air and snacks to refresh the mind and also the body at large. Furthermore when making a stopover, the traveler has to park the car in a trading center or town where there is enough security and this should not be at the shoulder of the road.
In Uganda, the speed limit is commonly 80kms/hr on highways and on town roads, it is 50kms/hr and you have to follow the rules of speed as over speeding cause accidents. The speed limits are most of the times indicated on sign posts on the roadside always look at them to know the speed you are supposed to drive on a specific road.
The driver should always fasten the seat belt while driving and this is so useful in case of collision with another car and also it is a driving rule in Uganda if you break it, you are considered an offender.
Take into account the laws concerning a mobile phone while driving. In Uganda, it is condemned to use a mobile phone while driving. The phone should always be away while driving and if you want to use it pullover and then knock yourself out. If pulling over is going to inconvenience you then it is better you carry a Bluetooth device with you to help you communicate while driving.
It is always good when driving a car rental alone to turn on the radio or get your music carried on a flash disk as most rental cars Uganda have mp3 players. This keeps the driver at bay not to get bored while on the way. It is also advisable to regularly open the windows while driving as the fresh air will keep up long on the road without tiring out. When traveling in a group, it is commendable to share the sterling as everyone gets time to rest.
Every tom dick and harry knows this driving rule that never be under drug influence that is alcohol, cocaine, marijuana among the common one while driving a car. These drugs impair your brain of which one loses his/her normal judgment and driving needs when one is very conscious. Thousands of people die of road accident in the world due to driving under the influence of drugs.
Always carry some self driving enhancements like a tourist map, GPS and also get smart phone apps such as Waze or Google maps as these help the driver in getting the bearings/locations and route of the destinations he/she going to. Apps like Google maps or waze help the driver in knowing the traffic situation on certain roads.
When taking up a rental car for selfdrive, always first get familiar with it and all its apparatus like the brakes, horn, fuel opener, music and radio player and the hazard lights. In case you do not something about the vehicle seek help from the car rental agent.
Keep your belongings in the safest place in the car possible and in that case it is the trunk. When getting out of the car for refreshment make sure the car is properly locked.
Learn about the Uganda traffic laws as different countries have different laws of driving so do think that the laws are universal. Tell your car provider to brief the driving conditions and also the traffic laws in Uganda. You can as well find them on the internet.
Before starting an expedition, make sure that the rental car is a good condition that is the fuel tank is full, the all the fluids are full levels and the tires have tidings and are well pumped. By checking the condition of the car makes the traveler minimize the inconveniences of the car breakdown while driving. in addition, the traveler has to make sure that he/she gets to know the nearby petrol stations and the mechanic shop for fuel refilling and car repair respectively.
Make sure that the rental car has comprehensive insurance as this makes the car renter less liable of any damages that make happen to the car while driving it. If the car renter has car rental insurance he/she can as well use.
Always carry enough water in you’re the rental car for both drinking and car usage. Uganda lies in the tropics so the temperatures can rise up to 38⁰C of which you are required to drink a lot of water to avoid concussion or dehydrating and for the case of the car, the water cools it down as it can explode due to the high temperatures. In addition to the former make sure, you park the car under some shade in order to heat up.
Make sure that you get to carry some medicine while taking a self drive in Uganda and this should be done under the doctor’s prescription. Also get to know the local healthy centers of the various tourism destination, you are traversing to by getting their address and contact.