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I'm planning a one person roadtrip from Prior Lake, MN to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado to meet up with some friends to climb Long's Peak. Google Maps puts it at 997 miles one-way, 14.5 hours driving time. Is this too far in one day considering the driving would be 2 days before the full-day climb?
I have family in Des Moines I could stay with for free making it a 2-day drive, 3.5hrs & 11.25hrs each day. Is this a better option?
What do you think?
Thanks for all your help!
Welcome to the RTA Forum!
First of all, as we mention on the forum very often, online map programs don't do a good job of including required stops into their estimates, so that 1000 mile trip will likely take about 17.5 hours, not 14.5.
But 1000 miles is way too far for a solo driver in a single day. Its unlikely you could travel that distance safely in that timeframe, and even if you did, you'd still be feeling the effects by the time you'd try your climb.
There is no one size fits all rule, and age and experience will certainly play a role in your personal limits, and you can go a little bit farther on a one day sprint when compared to a multi-day trip but the following guidelines should be considered.
500 miles is close to ideal.
600 is a very long day and for a solo traveler, really should be pretty close to the limit. It is also roughly the limit that professional drivers are allowed to travel in a day because of safety laws.
700 miles starts to really get into the grueling stage, and really can't be recommended for a solo driver.
800 or more starts putting you over the 14 hour mark on the road, and really isn't recommended even if you have multiple drivers.
Excellent, thank you. I'll definitely be making an overnight stop. I might push the stop out a bit further than Des Moines however, following those guidelines.
I think that's a wise decision! Speaking from personal experience, I'd push on as far as I was comfortable with on the first day, looking to get at least 600 miles completed. When you've had enough, pull into a motel and settle in for an early night. You'll sleep well for sure (!) and can awake the next day safe in the knowledge that you've broken the back of the journey and you'll have time to break up the journey by stopping at one or two roadside attractions. Works for me anyway :)
I would definitely say to take your time and stop overnight. I once drove from West Palm Beach, Florida to the Delaware Water Gap (about 1200 miles) without stopping other than to use the bathroom. My boyfriend was in the car with me but fell asleep soon after we left and I felt bad waking him. He woke up when we got to the Delaware Water Gap and drove the rest of the way to Florida. I was exhausted when I got home!
I think it depends on the person. My husband is an avid driver and we can clock a lot of miles in a day...but just not multiple days in a row.
Back when I was 24-27 years old, I could easily drive up to 800-900 miles in one day. Now, however, I can only do about 500 before I start feeling fatigued and grouchy. (And I'm only 29 now!)
Having worked at all hours of the day and night, I consider myself quite up to the challenge of being functional at strange times of day.
That said, I still find that driving during the night has a unique set of challenges that can make traveling difficult, and can cause stress similar to what may be experienced during heavy traffic. Somebody not used to being up at strange hours, eg 3am, would probably be more fatigued by this as well.
Even with two people, 500-550 miles a day is still a comfortable pace. On our last long trip, the one-way distance was ~550 miles, we stopped a few times along the way, switched drivers, and generally enjoyed ourselves. It may have been the most relaxing one-day trip we've ever had.
Sure, I'm likely to do another long solo trip where I break this rule of thumb, but I know that I would have to be in pretty good emotional and physical shape to be able to do that.
Last summer, I drove from Washington DC to Miami, FL in one straight shot. Mapquest showed that the distance is about 1180 miles and takes about 18 hrs. I did it in 20 hrs driving 85 mph on I95. It took me longer simply because I took break more often. I started out driving around 2 a.m. after a good sleep. I drove until it was time to fill up and rest there at well. I rest for about 1 hr during each fill up give my eyes a break and a car a chance to cool down. It was pretty easy because I like driving and I95 is very straight and easy traveling south from DC.
Of course, I slept for 11 hrs when I arrived at the hostel, so I wouldn't call it time saving. A biggest problems many people have during long distance driving are boredom and fatigue. My wife and our 2 bestfriends were in the car with me and at least one stay up at any given time to B.S. A break every 5 hrs did help a lot. I could have asked other people to take turn driving, but I wanted to have all the fun for myself. A fun to drive vehicle was a big plus as we tooked my wife's Bimmer 328 convertible.
One very important note: If you feel remotely tire, safely pull over to the side of the road or a store to rest. I had an accident last summer (3 weeks before the trip) when I dropped my wife off at the airport and drove back home. I worked all day that day and was already tire. By the time I go my car and headed out the airport, I felt very sleep. Dozing off a few times didn't stop me from being stupid and I ended up crashing into a side curb and messed my right tires and rims. Luckily, I didn't go into oncomming traffic as there was no left shoulder or lane divided, just 4 lanes for 2 direction of U.S. 1 in Stafford VA. That was a biggest wakeup call literally and I would never dare driving tire.
Conclusion, if you're not tire, go for it. Otherwise, pull into a book store like Border or Barnes and Noble and sleep on their sofa. For your case though, you better off breaking it into half and half as you will be driving by yourself, which is the hardest thing to do.
Good luck and have fun
Mr. MIAccord, I don't know about that driving 85mph on the I95. The speed limit on the I95 is usually between 65-70, so you were driving way over the limit. That isn't safe for you, or other drivers on the road, especially if you're doing a long stretch. The limit is there for a reason- there's a lot more people on the road on the I95, much easier to get into an accident, and at 85mph- a serious one. You were lucky that time. learn from it. drive slower and smell the roses ;)
Except stopping for meal and bathroom breaks, I can keep driving from 4am to midnight. Distance would depend on the speed.
Only thing is watch out for your "biological clock". I find that from 1am to 4am my body wants to shut down from driving.
The current record is held by Barry Stiefel who wrote about a trip he did on 10/26/03 in which he visited 21 states in 1 day. If you go to his website you will see the breakdown of this trip and his 50 states in 1 week trip. It takes a very unique person to do this type of driving. This coming Sunday Nov. 2 ,I will attempt to break Barry's record. This is only for a very experienced long distance driver that knows his own body , mind , and limits.
I personally drive many miles at all times of day with my job as a District Manager in circulation for USA Today. I currently hold the record for quickest visit to all 50 states with my son Peter in 2001. 8 days and 20 minutes. I have 'Trained" if that's the right word to be one of those strange unique people that can safely do a trip such as this. I've done a few 1200 mile single day trips in about 18-20 hours. Naples, FL to D.C. and Yellowstone to Vancouver as examples. I've even done a dry run on the trip I'll do Sunday by testing different routes for efficiency.
For me, the key is efficient travel, good audio entertainment, and as my daughter calls it "The map in my head" that is always on. No need for GPS. So wish me a good ride, minimal traffic, and great weather on Sunday Nov. 2nd as I cruise from Vermont to Mississippi. Then I can answer this question with new data.
Gary
Hi Gary,
I wish you well in your attempt at the record, good luck and have a safe journey. As you rightly say, it's not something "most" people should attempt.
I will look forward to seeing how it turns out for you.
Dave.
I go from Joplin to San Diego once or twice a year to visit my sister. It's a 1600 mile run. I could *probably* do it in 2 days, but I haven't tried to yet. I take 3 days, and it does take me a day or 2 to recover. The most I've pushed in 1 day in recent history is 805 miles, but I was cooking and did it in just over 12 hours - gotta love that 80 mph speed limit in West Texas! I'm 59 years old and know my limitations, in my far younger days I do have some 1000 mile days under my belt. I no longer am comfortable driving well into the night. I drive a F-150 which for me is a lot more comfortable than a small car. I make the trip out a speed run, and sightsee/explore on the trip back.
To the OP - I'd recommend a stop about halfway. Des Moines isn't far enough for the first day - if anything, push the first day, not the second.
Gary,
This is a wild challenge -- looking forward to hearing how it went!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Barry's record will live another year, gotta postpone the trip due to some last minute changes in family plans. Sorry!
Gary
Gary,
I am sure the record will stand another year.
Hope the family issues are easily resolvable.
Mark
My personal best was Couer D'Alene to Dickinson, ND, 826 miles in 12hours with stops for gas and food. The roads were beautiful and straight, I was awake and alert the whole way, and it was day #2 of my first road trip so I was pretty stoked to just see the countryside flying by.
Also at the time I thought Montana still had no speed limit on the interstate so I did 80 - 85 through most of the state. Whoops.
Different roads and different days can really kill your energy levels. I drove a mere 300 miles from Williams, AZ into Utah this summer, pulled off the road twice because I was falling asleep at the wheel, got to my hotel at 4pm and slept for another 3hrs. Sometimes you just have bad days, no matter what your route plans are.
I can't believe I got stopped last March on I-94 in Montana out in the middle of nowhere on a beautiful clear day with hardly anyone else on the road doing 81 in a 75. Got away with a warning though.
the speed limit on I95 may be 65-70, but i havent seen anyone drive that speed on that road in a long time. Usually, my average speed on I95 is 75 to 80, just to keep up with traffic. but there are plenty who break that
This is an important point! A couple times we've done marathon driving sessions, and we always experience a backlash the next day: that is, we're exhausted, and we spend a good bit of the next day conked out; that, or we're like the walking dead and don't really enjoy whatever we came to see. Specifically I remember a time when our children were toddlers; we drove all night and half the day to get to get to a destination waaaay down in Florida near Everglades National Park. The kids were great: the slept soundly in their car seats, enjoyed brief stops for breakfast, etc. and then went straight back to sleep. But when we arrived, we had wide-awake kids who were ready to hit the beach . . . and parents who were exhausted and ready to hit the bed -- it wasn't a good combination in the hotel room.Quote:
Originally Posted by M1Accord
This question comes up frequently, but pushing yourself waaaay beyond your limits just isn't smart or safe. You can't cheat your body and expect good results.
This thread is a bit old, but I have to get my 2 bits in.
How does it take you 20 hours if you are going 85mph?? Sounds like you need too many long stops to hide from the cops and rest. I95 is crawling with Sheriffs now and they are not about to pass up a sleepy speeder. Traffic does move fast now, but at 85 you cannot maintain speed without constant dangerous lane changing. To average 85 you have to go a 100. This will get you a Road Rage call in a couple of miles, with a cruiser waiting down the road for you.
Better to stay on cruise
control at 70 and not have to make all those rest stops. You'll get there in 18 hours, without a ticket.
We are fortunate in this country that speed enforcement is not a priority. We don't have a lot of speed cameras to slow traffic - yet. Traffic is actually moving faster here than in most of Europe now.
The cameras are all over Europe now - I received two speeding tickets from the rental car company with my smiling face at the wheel. The cameras have taken the fun out of driving in Italy which is no longer the drivers playground it once was.
Slow down a bit so that the politicians don't realize what a gold mine they are already sitting on with the existing cameras that are not yet activated for speeding tickets but do clock speed.
I drive 15 hours (984 mi) on a regular basis in my compact car. It's pretty doable for me. It takes a day to recover. You can really cut down on the amount of time you spend making stops if you pack your own food and pre plan the fewest stops for gas possible and where you will stop. It's about a 14 hour drive and I spend about an hour between my stops (10-15min stops.) I did this 10 days ago and just did it again today. I'm ready for bed, but it wasn't that hard really. Just make sure you pack the night before and get plenty of sleep and hit the road as soon as you wake up and are fully rested. On any other day I get tired after about 15 hours anyway, so it works out perfect.
The OP didn't ask, and the discussion to date hasn't addressed, 'How far can I force myself, against all reason, to drive in a day?' The question was, and is 'How far is it safe to drive in one day?' Hearing from people who routinely play Russian Roulette with their own lives and the lives of everyone else they force to unknowingly share the road with them during their patently unsafe endeavors does nothing to answer that question. The fact that 'It takes a day to recover.' from your foolish and reckless endeavors should be all that you need to tell you that they are unsafe. But apparently not.
AZBuck
Welcome to the RTA Forum, majpayne, but there are several major safety problem with what you've done - and what it appears you plan to continue doing.
First, there is no one on earth who can safely drive nearly 1000 miles in one day. It's just more than the human body can do. Yes, on a one day sprint, you can cover a bit more miles than on a multi-day trip, but even there, there are physical limits.
Second, you claimed "it wasn't that hard," yet at the same time you said you typically are only up for 15 hours in a day, and that you were ready for bed when you were done. That proves that you were spending many hours where your level of alertness was far less than safe to operate a 2 ton machine at 70 mph. Fatigue isn't just an issue when you start to feel sleepy. If you feel sleepy behind the wheel, you've already been driving way beyond the point where you were safe.
Third, your approach of trying to stop as little as possible is about the most dangerous way you can approach any speed run - even ones of more rational distances. The mind needs breaks from the road and the body needs breaks from sitting in a car. Failing to take them - or only taking them once every 4 hours or so isn't nearly enough to keep yourself alert enough to safely operate a vehicle. It is a near certainty that you suffered from "highway hypnosis" at numerous points throughout the trip.
The reality is simple: driving fatigued is every bit as dangerous as driving drunk. The studies and statistics prove it. Coming on this forum to tell us that you regularly drive nearly 1000 miles and it's "not that bad," is really no different at all than someone who regularly drives drunk and claims it's not dangerous or "not that bad" because they haven't been arrested or gotten into a crash yet.
Perhaps you simply didn't understand your actions were as dangerous as they were. Perhaps because there is no breath test for fatigue, you'll just dismiss what we're telling you. We can only hope you'll change your behavior in the future, and let others know that if they follow your lead, they are going down an extremely dangerous path.
Wellp, I'm a truck driver, and I drive 8 hours a day for work, so I guess maybe I'm used to it after doing it for years. It probably doesn't wear on my muscles as much as someone who's not accustomed to a lot of driving, thus, I don't tire from driving as easily. Of course I wouldn't drive when I'm tired or exhausted. I'm not stupid, as much as you guys seem to think I am. I always maintain my car professionally like I do at work and I always drive professionally too, which means avoiding any unnecessary risks or doing anything to jeapordize my safety or anyone else's. And yes it takes a day at least of resting before it's safe to drive again, after driving for 15 hours. It's safe( for me, maybe not for you) to do for one day but probably not two in a row, although sadly truckers are doing 15 hour days in a row all the time in this country.
I've driven literally millions of miles in my lifetime and everything from big rigs to compact cars to sport super class motorcycles and I've never had a single accident, traffic violation, or any other safety incident over my lifetime. A wise man knows some of that is because of luck (statistics dictate I should have been in an incident already) but it also probably has to do with the fact that I take driving very seriously and always place a high priority on safety and driving smart.
I'm also a licensed EMT who's had to deal with accidents which can be very gruesome I assure you. It's really insulting to think I would for a second place myself or anyone else at risk for an auto accident, but of course I didn't say that I don't get tired or mention my experience so I can't blame you guys for being presumptuous. I appreciate your concern but I do know my limits and not to push them. Stay safe
The type of response you received is typical when only limited information is posted, leaving members to draw conclusions. It always pays to post as much information as you have, even if you think it may not be relevant.Quote:
Originally Posted by majpayne
Lifey
Actually truckers are NOT EVER driving 15 hours even in one day in this country, at least not legally, because it is not safe for ANYBODY. Commercial drivers are limited to driving a maximum of 11 hours in a day under federal law. Of course, there are a few truckers who will break the law, but the vast majority care enough about their lives, and the lives of others (not to mention they don't want to risk thousands of dollars in fines), that they don't attempt to do what has been shown time and time again to be incredibly unsafe.Quote:
Originally Posted by majpayne
As far as everything else you said about your experience and the like, all you've done is proven that you should know better, but instead, you've decided that somehow you are so special that the laws of human physiology don't apply to you. It's sad, disappointing, and dangerous, but unfortunately, it's not all that surprising. Habitual drunk drivers come up with the exact same excuses for why they can be "safe" while engaging in equally reckless behavior, especially when the consequences of their behavior haven't caught up with them, yet.
It's like I said, I didn't mention any if that in my first post and it is relevant, so I do apologize. I don't blame you guys at all for responding to my post the way you did, I appreciate your concern for my safety, I think you could have just left out all the condescending attitude and editorialized talking down to, that's all. We all like to think we know it all im guilty of it too but it's better to try to temper yourself and give someone the benefit of the doubt instead of being totally cynical about life and other people. Regards
Also, really don't see how anything I've said relates or correlates whatsoever to drunk driving, something I've never done or intend to do. Literally no connection whatsoever. If you can prove that im even tired when I drive based on anything I've said, which you can't, you still have to jump an enormous gap from tired driving to drunk diving. Gonna regard this as base inflammatory comment.
Have you ever seen the consequences of drunk driving? Have you ever pulled a little kid out of the back of a car who's been almost cut in half by his seat belt? Why would you say to someone who has that they're no better than a drunk driver and they just go around with utter disregard for their own safety and everyone else's? Only reason I can think of to say something that foolish, is to piss someone off and flame them up and fill your life and everyone else's life with drama they don't need purely for your own entertainment. The Internet is completely overpacked with people like you, and I only posted here to offer my opinion and experience but I see like many other places on the Internet this website is just another place for someone to sit back make popcorn and analyze everything you say and criticize and belittle it and contribute nothing just to pass the time until we all die feeling much worse for having wasted our precious time alive talking to one another. Its the sort of thing I did when I was a kid, but eventually we have to grow up don't we? Doesnt all this internet bickering just get you down? Isn't there something more important to worry about, like learning something, or isn't it better to focus your energy having a better attitude, or being a better driver, or raising a family or furthering your career, maybe learn a new instrument or make love? I mean really, how empty is your life man? Never posting here again and it's solely because of you. Sorry but you won't get another juicy dramatic argument filled moment just because I bumped Into the wrong part of the Internet.
The fact is you came on this forum and proclaimed it's "pretty doable" to drive nearly 1,000 miles in a day, and that you do it on a regular basis. Even worse, you take the approach of trying to do it with as few as stops as possible. It doesn't matter how much experience you have, that is extraordinarily dangerous.
We certainly can't force you to change your behavior, or force you to understand that no amount of experience will make what you are doing "safe." But we're certainly not going to allow anyone to come on this forum and provide such dangerous mis-information without it being corrected.
As Buck noted in his response, the original question from several years ago is "how far is it safe to drive in one day?" While you may not gain anything from our answers, we hope that they will explain to other visitors to this forum exactly why the distances you are driving are not at all safe to drive in one day.
I just created an account to comment on this because tired driving is important and often surrounded with misinformation.Quote:
Originally Posted by majpayne
While this was posted over a year ago, I thought it was still important to set the record straight. Many scientific studies have been done, and they show conclusively that driving tired is, in fact, just as dangerous as driving drunk. There is absolutely no question about this. It is fact (see multitude of links below).
This is not meant to target anyone in particular, but it is crucial that people understand just how dangerous it is to drive tired. If you are tired, you are past your limit. Pull over and rest. Everyone has a different limit, which I think has been made pretty clear earlier in the thread, but once you start to feel fatigued, the situation can become dangerous very quickly.
According to a recent study done in the Netherlands, two hours of night driving is equivalent to being tipsy and 3 hours of night driving takes you to drunk driving. If you wouldn't drive drunk, don't drive tired. Is getting there a little faster worth someone's life?
To avoid driving fatigue it is recommended driver's take a decent break every 2 hours to reset. Caffeine can also be helpful but remember the body takes 30-45 minutes to metabolize, so get the caffeine into your system well before you get behind the wheel.
Unfortunately, soda and many energy drinks contain large amounts of sugar that can actually result in an energy crash, so chose wisely. Finally, consider your vitamins; a lack of vitamins like B12 can also cause energy crashes, and I have found it helpful to carry a vitamin drink mix since it is often hard to ensure the best nutrition on the road.
Be safe out there- know your own limits.
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama...rticle/1162167
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1557200.html
https://www.wired.com/2011/01/study-...driving-drunk/
http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...Driving-Drunk/
http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/my...drunk-driving/
(you can even watch the experiment that propelled research into this confirmed 'myth')