Everybody on this earth has that dream of exploring fantastic places in the world like going on a safari in Africa, visiting and exploring beautiful cities like Dubai and Paris going on lovely beaches like those of Zanzibar and among other things. But the main problem which prevents people from achieving their travel dreams is money so most people resort to looking for a cheap and easy way to explore destinations.

You may find that it’s too expensive to hire a tour company to organize your trip or safari to any destination yet it can be easy and affordable to just hire a vehicle in any destination you want let’s say Uganda and explore the whole country. Currently, there are many car rental companies in Uganda offering first-class services and quite affordable prices.

Driving safely to a new destination is always very important and the last thing you need to think about is wrecking or damaging a vehicle you hired from a car rental company. So we decided to come up with tips that will help you avoid accidents on the road when you’re on a self-drive safari in Uganda.

Inspect the vehicle before you drive

This is in most cases done on the first day you receive the vehicle even before signing the car hire contract you have to make sure that the car is good sharp and mechanically okay. Even every morning at least take something like 20 minutes and check the vehicle engine like the engine oil, radiator coolant, brake fruits, and others. This is done because the driver’s most terrible nightmare, beyond a fatal accident, is having a vehicle breakdown amidst nowhere. To avoid the breakdown of the car, check it over and ensure there isn’t any possible threat of it breaking down before you reach your destination. That isn’t to say it won’t, once in a while cars simply break for reasons unknown, however, it’ll be more likely if it isn’t already experiencing problems.

Try not to drive tired!

Most of the nastiest motor accidents in history have happened because the driver fell asleep at the steering wheel. It’s advisable that at least a day you drive for 8 hours maximum and you rest and make sure that you get enough rest at night before driving and avoid driving late at night that is why at Safari Car Rental Uganda Ltd we recommend that our vehicles should stop operation at around 7:30 PM local time. In case you’re in a situation where you have to drive through the night and feel yourself napping off even a bit, pull over to the roadside and go to rest until you’re more refreshed then drive again.

Eat!

In case you do have a long drive in most cases the first day of your self-drive safari when you get your rental car at your lodge in Kampala at the Entebbe International Airport, as you know Uganda safari destinations are in remote areas and the first destination from Kampala will be in over 240km and that is Lake Mburo National Park the journey which will take you around 6hours to reach to the destination so it’s advisable to eat well before you start to drive.

Driving on an empty stomach can be also very dangerous, and any little diversion increases your possibility of causing an accident. The only reason to drive on empty stomach is only when you’re driving going to a restaurant.

Don’t drink and drive!

It is simple; you’ve presumably heard it so many times by now, however, it’s true. Principled people don’t drink and drive. Alcohol weakens reaction time and general judgment. The best thing to do is hold yourself to a zero-tolerance policy – regardless of the fact that the nation you’re in doesn’t.

Know the traffic laws!

If we talk about driving in another country, the first point to think about is the traffic laws, different countries have different traffic laws; you may find that certain things are legal in a certain country and illegal in another country. So before planning to organize a self-drive safari to any country it’s advisable that at least you take some time and learn its traffic laws. For example, some African countries like Uganda drive on the left yet countries like Rwanda drive on right most Car Hire Companies give out flyers that will tell you everything you will need to know about driving in that particular country. Try to read it before you start your self-drive safari or even you can ask the car rental representative for the different driving tips in the country.

Get familiar with the car

On the day you pick up the car at the car rental company after everything is done that is to say payments, sighing the contract, and even inspecting the vehicle, don’t just drive off at least take some more minutes and ask the car rental representative to tell you everything you will need to know about the car and how it operates. Because it will not be a good time amidst traffic and you start searching for air conditioning controls or to reprogram the radio settings. Before you drive off make sure all your mirrors are balanced and you know where the blinkers and emergency controls are found.

Take breaks!

You may be still in your early 20s and think you’re Superman; however, you’re still only human. Driving for a long period of time without having some breaks to relax is very dangerous for you physically or mentally. The more you drive without a break, the more your level of weariness gets to be. You’re advised to take a break every two or three hours and stretch whenever you’re driving a long distance and you should not force yourself, if you feel tired, sleepy, or hungry it’s better at least take some rest and resume your journey later.

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