A year’s plan starts with spring. With flowers in bloom, it’s the perfect time for self-driving trips. Recently, every weekend, large numbers of tourists flock to the southern mountainous areas of our city, as well as nearby suburbs like Zhangqiu and Jiyang. What should you pay attention to during spring self-driving trips? How should you maintain your car after returning from a spring outing? Police officers and experienced driving instructors share some spring travel safety tips for drivers.
Avoid Fatigued Driving
The new traffic regulations stipulate that driving medium or large passenger vehicles or vehicles transporting dangerous goods continuously for more than 4 hours without taking a break, or taking a break of less than 20 minutes, will result in a penalty of 12 points instead of the previous 6. Although this rule applies to passenger vehicles and dangerous goods transporters, the public should also balance work and rest when driving for spring outings to avoid fatigued driving.
Due to the transition between spring and summer, daylight hours become longer while sleep time shortens. The human body hasn’t fully adapted to the changes in sleep patterns, and the warm, comfortable environment inside the vehicle under sunlight often leads to drowsiness. Therefore, to prevent fatigued driving, ensure you get enough sleep before the trip and avoid staying up all night during the outing. If you feel drowsy while driving, stop and rest to ensure safety. If possible, take turns driving with others.
Opening the windows to keep the air circulating can also help improve the driver’s alertness. Additionally, listening to music, chewing gum, or chatting with passengers while driving can help prevent traffic accidents caused by fatigue. Spring is also a peak season for colds, and sneezing—a common symptom—can also trigger traffic accidents. When driving, especially on highways, the moment you sneeze, road conditions may change drastically. Therefore, drivers with severe colds should avoid driving if possible, and if they must drive, they should maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
Beware of Severe Weather
In spring, our city often experiences strong winds and sandstorms. Additionally, spring is a rainy season. If you encounter such severe weather during your spring trip, drivers must stay focused and drive cautiously and slowly.
When it rains, roads become slippery and visibility is low. Drivers should control their speed. On waterlogged roads, drive even slower—high speeds can splash water, obstructing your view and increasing the risk of accidents or harming pedestrians. When encountering pedestrians in the rain, honk in advance and slow down to avoid them. If the rain is heavy, park in a safe spot and wait for it to ease before continuing.
Spring also frequently brings foggy weather, which severely limits visibility and affects sight. Driving in fog without focus can easily lead to accidents. Therefore, in low-visibility fog, drive slowly, turn on fog lights and signal lights, and use low beams if necessary. Honk when approaching intersections or turns to prepare and avoid accidents.
When driving in strong winds, slow down appropriately, correctly judge wind direction, grip the steering wheel firmly, and prevent your route from being affected by the wind. Pay attention to the vehicle’s lateral stability, minimize overtaking, and extend horn usage slightly. When driving against the wind, be aware that sudden wind direction changes or sharp turns may reduce wind resistance, causing a sudden speed increase. When turning in strong winds, turn on front small lights, honk frequently to alert pedestrians and other vehicles, proceed slowly, and always be ready to brake. At night in windy conditions, use anti-glare low beams instead of high beams to avoid dazzling light affecting visibility. In extremely windy and sandy conditions, park your car on the upwind side of the road, facing away from the wind, to prevent fine sand from entering the engine cylinder and accelerating wear.
The most important thing when driving in strong winds is to stay highly focused. Bicycles, tricycles, and similar vehicles become less stable in the wind, so drivers must adapt quickly and learn to dodge sudden dangers. Also, keep a safe distance from dead trees, unstable walls, and heavily loaded trucks to avoid being caught in potential hazards.
Take Care of Your Car Maintenance
In winter, car owners rarely open windows for ventilation, leading to a buildup of bacteria inside the vehicle. As temperatures rise in spring and humidity increases, it becomes a breeding season for various germs. Therefore, special attention should be paid to indoor car disinfection, keeping the interior dry and hygienic. Focus on cleaning hard-to-reach areas like seat cushions and air vents to maintain a clean environment. Car seats, being the most frequently used parts, are prone to getting dirty or worn—clean or replace seat covers and leather surfaces regularly.
Spring brings more outdoor dust and willow catkins, making car exterior cleaning essential. When washing your car, first rinse all parts to moisten dirt. For stubborn mud or bird droppings, scrub with a brush and rinse. Then use high-pressure water to wash each part from top to bottom, applying higher pressure to the undercarriage. Use specialized car shampoo—long-term use of laundry detergent or soap can dull the paint and even corrode it. After shampooing, rinse the car thoroughly with clean water. Avoid washing under direct sunlight or when the car is hot, as this can cause paint peeling.
Additionally, as temperatures rise in spring, some drivers find their coolant levels low and, since antifreeze is no longer a priority, refill with plain water. However, water easily forms scale and rust, has a low boiling point, and can cause overheating ("boiling over"). Therefore, don’t casually replace coolant with water. When changing coolant, also check whether the left and right drainage holes are blocked to prevent poor rainwater drainage and backflow into the car.
Most importantly, before a spring trip, drivers should thoroughly inspect their car, including tire pressure and brake system functionality, to avoid inconveniences during the self-driving journey.
Avoid Fatigued Driving
The new traffic regulations stipulate that driving medium or large passenger vehicles or vehicles transporting dangerous goods continuously for more than 4 hours without taking a break, or taking a break of less than 20 minutes, will result in a penalty of 12 points instead of the previous 6. Although this rule applies to passenger vehicles and dangerous goods transporters, the public should also balance work and rest when driving for spring outings to avoid fatigued driving.
Due to the transition between spring and summer, daylight hours become longer while sleep time shortens. The human body hasn’t fully adapted to the changes in sleep patterns, and the warm, comfortable environment inside the vehicle under sunlight often leads to drowsiness. Therefore, to prevent fatigued driving, ensure you get enough sleep before the trip and avoid staying up all night during the outing. If you feel drowsy while driving, stop and rest to ensure safety. If possible, take turns driving with others.
Opening the windows to keep the air circulating can also help improve the driver’s alertness. Additionally, listening to music, chewing gum, or chatting with passengers while driving can help prevent traffic accidents caused by fatigue. Spring is also a peak season for colds, and sneezing—a common symptom—can also trigger traffic accidents. When driving, especially on highways, the moment you sneeze, road conditions may change drastically. Therefore, drivers with severe colds should avoid driving if possible, and if they must drive, they should maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
Beware of Severe Weather
In spring, our city often experiences strong winds and sandstorms. Additionally, spring is a rainy season. If you encounter such severe weather during your spring trip, drivers must stay focused and drive cautiously and slowly.
When it rains, roads become slippery and visibility is low. Drivers should control their speed. On waterlogged roads, drive even slower—high speeds can splash water, obstructing your view and increasing the risk of accidents or harming pedestrians. When encountering pedestrians in the rain, honk in advance and slow down to avoid them. If the rain is heavy, park in a safe spot and wait for it to ease before continuing.
Spring also frequently brings foggy weather, which severely limits visibility and affects sight. Driving in fog without focus can easily lead to accidents. Therefore, in low-visibility fog, drive slowly, turn on fog lights and signal lights, and use low beams if necessary. Honk when approaching intersections or turns to prepare and avoid accidents.
When driving in strong winds, slow down appropriately, correctly judge wind direction, grip the steering wheel firmly, and prevent your route from being affected by the wind. Pay attention to the vehicle’s lateral stability, minimize overtaking, and extend horn usage slightly. When driving against the wind, be aware that sudden wind direction changes or sharp turns may reduce wind resistance, causing a sudden speed increase. When turning in strong winds, turn on front small lights, honk frequently to alert pedestrians and other vehicles, proceed slowly, and always be ready to brake. At night in windy conditions, use anti-glare low beams instead of high beams to avoid dazzling light affecting visibility. In extremely windy and sandy conditions, park your car on the upwind side of the road, facing away from the wind, to prevent fine sand from entering the engine cylinder and accelerating wear.
The most important thing when driving in strong winds is to stay highly focused. Bicycles, tricycles, and similar vehicles become less stable in the wind, so drivers must adapt quickly and learn to dodge sudden dangers. Also, keep a safe distance from dead trees, unstable walls, and heavily loaded trucks to avoid being caught in potential hazards.
Take Care of Your Car Maintenance
In winter, car owners rarely open windows for ventilation, leading to a buildup of bacteria inside the vehicle. As temperatures rise in spring and humidity increases, it becomes a breeding season for various germs. Therefore, special attention should be paid to indoor car disinfection, keeping the interior dry and hygienic. Focus on cleaning hard-to-reach areas like seat cushions and air vents to maintain a clean environment. Car seats, being the most frequently used parts, are prone to getting dirty or worn—clean or replace seat covers and leather surfaces regularly.
Spring brings more outdoor dust and willow catkins, making car exterior cleaning essential. When washing your car, first rinse all parts to moisten dirt. For stubborn mud or bird droppings, scrub with a brush and rinse. Then use high-pressure water to wash each part from top to bottom, applying higher pressure to the undercarriage. Use specialized car shampoo—long-term use of laundry detergent or soap can dull the paint and even corrode it. After shampooing, rinse the car thoroughly with clean water. Avoid washing under direct sunlight or when the car is hot, as this can cause paint peeling.
Additionally, as temperatures rise in spring, some drivers find their coolant levels low and, since antifreeze is no longer a priority, refill with plain water. However, water easily forms scale and rust, has a low boiling point, and can cause overheating ("boiling over"). Therefore, don’t casually replace coolant with water. When changing coolant, also check whether the left and right drainage holes are blocked to prevent poor rainwater drainage and backflow into the car.
Most importantly, before a spring trip, drivers should thoroughly inspect their car, including tire pressure and brake system functionality, to avoid inconveniences during the self-driving journey.