Tempted to escape the urban chaos and take off on a monsoon drive to a hill station? Here’s a quick, handy checklist to ensure you have a hassle-free joy ride!
Rains, lush green canopies, and pit stops for hot tea; ah, the holy trinity of a monsoon road trip! Yup, it’s the time of the year to pack your bags and drive away from the urban chaos to the hill stations and forests that await at their greenest best to give you the definitive monsoon fix.
It’s important to keep in mind that, while monsoon is pure bliss for a long drive, slushy roads and rain could also pose a challenge especially in hilly terrains. “Ha, I’m too good a driver for all these issues”, you may say, but hey, it’s always better to be well prepared for unexpected hiccups.
Don’t let an untoward incident ruin all the fun on your road trip; just follow this checklist that includes everything from routine checks to Travel Insurance – keep calm and read on!
Additional Reading: Monsoon Madness – 5 Best Places to Visit in India in July
Make sure your car has been recently serviced
A season like monsoon is sure to present road conditions where both you and your car will need to be in top form to ensure a smooth drive. We’re sure you’ll be alert and in good shape for your trip, so why not assure the same for your car?
Before you head out on a trip, just ensure your car has been serviced and all the vital elements that power your vehicle are in an optimal condition – these include your car’s battery, engine oil, brake and wheel alignment to name a few.
You’ll need great tyre grip
This goes without saying. Driving off to a hilly area, especially in the pouring rain, requires your car’s tyres to be at their best condition in terms of grip and control. A set of bald tyres may cause the occasional skid and throw you off the road if the weather’s too wild! If your tyres need retirement, invest in a new set of branded tyres that promise great grip; new tyres are totally worth your money. Plus, they make driving even more fun!
While we’re discussing tyres, it’s presumed you’ll ensure that your air pressures are on point. Right?
Ensure your Car Insurance policy is active
In the off-chance that your car sustains a minor or major damage along the way, the last thing you’ll want to learn is that your car insurance policy has expired! Steer clear of such scenarios by ensuring you’ve renewed your policy on time; it’s just one less thing to worry about, right?
Don’t have an active car insurance plan? Check your eligibility!
Carry your license and car registration card – Duh!
We’re sure most of you will carry your documents on your trip. But we’d like to mention this anyway as it can sometimes be overlooked. Why leave room for pull-ups when you’re crossing state boundaries or traffic police check posts? Keep your documents handy and leave your worry of getting in trouble and paying fines out of the window!
Fuel up beforehand
While we do understand that many road trips happen at the spur of the moment, an unplanned drive shouldn’t leave you stranded on the highway because of a dry fuel tank. Even if you don’t have time to fill up your tank on the eve of the trip, you can always visit a petrol pump within the city limits just before you head out to the highway; who knows when the odd highway bunks will decide to remain closed for repairs!
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Recheck your spare tyre and changing tools
You can never say when the odd nail on the road will render your car immobile due to a flat tyre. Assuming you have your spare tyre in your trunk, a last-minute check to see if it is fine always gives you reassurance. While you’re at it, make sure your tyre changing tools are in your vehicle; you don’t want to be forced to think of entertaining ways to ask moving vehicles to pull up and help you!
Stock up on snacks and water
This goes without saying! Just like your car needs fuel, your body needs its basic nourishment. Monsoon trips are notorious for detours caused by fallen trees. So, if you’ve planned to break for lunch on the way, a diversion could delay that. And we all know what happens to people when they’re hungry – they get cranky!
Stock up some easy snacks and water; this way, you can even choose to do some off-roading without worrying about supplies!
Keep your devices fully charged!
While technology has made travel more hassle-free with GPS, internet access, and what not, it requires you to have your phone charged and running fine while you’re on the road. Our reliance on Google Maps can sometimes leave us clueless when we try to recollect directions from our memory. Why take this chance when you can have your phone up and running fine!
Check your main weapon against the rains – wipers!
Even if you’ve managed to fulfil all the above points in this article, you still won’t be able to easily drive in the monsoon rain if your car’s wipers are not in top condition. Driving with defective wipers in the monsoon is like running blindfolded; your visibility may be reduced to almost nothing – you don’t want that, do you?
If you feel your wipers are looking worn out, you can always consider having them replaced. If they look alright, you can still check the water nozzles for chances of clogging.
Consider Travel Insurance!
“Seriously? For a road trip? Paranoid much!” Look, while this may sound too old-school, we’d like to help you understand how Travel Insurance could help you on a road trip. Let’s assume you’ve made a booking to stay overnight at a plush resort at your destination by paying in advance. Halfway through your drive, you encounter a bad diversion or road issue on the highway that causes a considerable delay. By the time you reach your accommodation, the day’s almost over and your money’s gone down the drain!
In such situations, staying covered under a Travel Insurance plan that provides reimbursement helps ease the pain. It also makes sense that you opt for a Travel Insurance plan that provides basic medical coverage outside of your state too (if your Health Insurance plan doesn’t already cover out-of-state issues).
Learn more about Travel Insurance
While you’re on our website, you can also check your eligibility for a Health Insurance plan!
For workers, long weekends means a vacation with your family or friends. However, weather conditions are unpredictable it might arrive on your planned vacation. This is a comprehensive and helpful checklist. Being prepared brings you a hassle-free travel which can maximize your time to have fun. I remember that one of my colleagues mentioned to me his experience that they’re supposed to be vacation turns into a disaster due to the heavy rain as they didn’t check their tires’ condition and without spare tires on hand.
In the middle of their journey, since the road is slippery and the tires are not in its best condition when it skids it damage their trees due to the impact. They just decided to look for nearest accommodation while they get their cars fixed. Which ruins they supposed to be a holiday vacation.
Planned travel becomes successful if you know what areas to look into, I must say.
Hi Erwin Magalang,
Thanks for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed this article.
Cheers,
Team BankBazaar