How far can you safely drive in a day?

[WillitFit]

I'm a middle aged woman who's had a driving licence since I was 18yo. I drive short journeys most days and a journey of 120 mikes round trip most weeks and would say I'm an experienced, competent and confident driver.

However for longer trips, which tended to be as a family, I always let late DH drive. No real reason other than he enjoyed driving and I am lazy was happy to nap on journeys. I would take a shift on very long journeys.

Since he died, obviously, I have to do it all myself. I took DS2 for a uni tour yesterday, 3.5 hours each way. DH would have done it without thinking. I was really struggling and stopped for a rest every hour on the way back.

This is probably my limit too. I could probably push it to five hours each way. I’m used to doing long drives though.

I regularly do a drive of 4.5-5 hours (including one loo stop. I don't have a problem with that.

I also used to drive 7 hours a day sometimes (2x 3.5 hrs) and that was fine provided I had long enough in the middle to get some exercise and fresh air.

I once drove about 10 hours in a day - going to a funeral and back. I had plenty of time in between the two journeys but I had had an early start and the drive home was very late so I was very tired and had to make an unscheduled stop to make sure I was safe to do the final
90 minutes or so. I definitely wouldn't want to do that again.

Regularly have done 6-8 hours in one hit, as stopping just extends the time. But I would stop for a coffee if I felt tired. However I tend to leave very early, say 5am, so I’m at the end point around lunch time.

For me personally it depends on the route I take and the reason why I am driving!! . On A roads I can drive about 150 miles with a couple of stops .
I just don’t drive on motorways…prefer quieter roads TBH !!

I agree with this - I have driven up to 400 ish miles in a day before and done 10-12 hours (traffic jams/ferry) of journey single handed. But the thought of driving home again just exhausts me all the way there especially on a single day. I don't know why!

I drive to my office which is 4.5 hours away and then back the next day. I wouldn’t like to do much further

I've driven 8 hours today. I did have a break but I'm shattered.

Not in the UK, combination of mostly motorway and highway (open roads passing through country towns), 8 hours driving time. Daylight only, two short coffee/loo breaks and lunch.

In the UK, I've done 4 hours with one coffee break.

After 6 hours I start getting tired/irritable so I don't drive more than 6 hour sun one day. Normally have a decent break in there too.

Can happily drive for 4hrs non stop.

I drove to Holland in May, stopped once for a five minute toilet only stop then back on the road. Used to regularly drive from Manchester to Essex no stopping, London to Durham and back again in a day I've done a fair few times (that's a killer), if parents couldn't accommodate end of term collection with all my stuff, I'd get the train or fly home, then bottle DFs car drive up get all my stuff and drive back home, often dropping off a housemate in York.
I really like driving, don't find it stressful. In the dark or very poor weather conditions I might stop more to rest my eyes.

DP and I are in our 50s and regularly drive the 9 hours from Beds/Bucks border up to Aberdeenshire. We do share the driving which makes it easier, so pull in for a quick wee stop as often as my middle aged bladder needs it and then swap seats.

OP

I always stop every two hours or so, unless stuck in motorway traffic or something. By the time you realise you are tired, your reaction times can already be affected. I struggle to drive distances at night so avoid this as well, just takes one microsleep to crash.

I can’t help but think the emotional load might have been the heaviest pressure. Sorry for your loss. I do big drives regularly and have driven for 7-11 hours just with a few toilet breaks but it’s all about how you feel. I have also had three stops in a three hour journey because I needed all of them. Music makes all the difference for me.

Increasingly it’s my middle ages stiffness that is the killer. Hopefully I am not alone in having a weird stuff walk into services.

I'm with you OP.

I drive to my mum's house easily (and back) - just over 2 hours each way. But it's an easy drive that I know extremely well.

Anything over 2 hours, I start to get tired. Especially if it's a lot of motorway driving - the monotony kills me.

If I don't know the route all that well, I find I'm really tired. I drove back from a visit to a part of the country I didn't know well the other day. I'd had a busy day & was so tired within the first hour of a 3 hour drive. I too had to stop several times.

I'm just not really a natural driver, or traveller generally.

I've driven 750 miles in one day and wouldn't recommend it or ever attempt it again!

I think more than 6 hours in a day is a lot.

I did 1200 miles in one day once (800 to destination then 400 of return journey) then 400 the next day. It was the return legs that wore me out, the first 800 was fine and I only stopped once. Wouldn't like to do it regularly.

Funny I was talking to my husband about this on a long journey the other week.

When I was a kid, we did longish journeys fairly regularly to see family and my parents shared the driving. Both of them would rarely stop, to the point where they'd get irritated if one of us kids needed to stop for a wee. Not sure why, they're pretty relaxed otherwise!

I, on the other hand, don't mind doing long journeys but always bank on at least one stop and maybe more. Like you I've stopped every hour before when I've been tired, I've napped in the carpark when needed.

Generally I can do about 2 hours before I need a break. I don't think it's unusual. But I do agree with others, don't discount the emotional effect on your driving

My longest single drive is usually our annual holiday to Switzerland - about 12-14 hours, depending on traffic. It's not a competition, though. I'm not dealing with existing bereavement and imminent (child going away) bereavement.

How on earth did you fit this in?! 1200 miles would be 20 hours driving averaging 60 miles an hour?! I very rarely manage to average 60 over s journey in the UK when you allow for the off motorway bits at either end and congestion, roadworks etc etc.

I do some very long journeys. I always plan a stop about every 3 hours or so and will stop for 45-60 minutes. Have a stroll and something to eat, then carry on for about another 3 hours. And repeat. Doing this, I can cover an 8 hr plus driving time journey in about 12 hours.

The key is to set off early so you get a good distance done before breakfast and not to rush. plan nice places to stop and get a proper break rather than just a quick wee and cuppa break.

I drive Paris to Aberdeen , took me 18 hours including the ferry.

Wouldn't rush to do it again

12 hours is my max these days.

*drove

We own a lake cabin which is approx 3.5 hours drive away (one way). In the summer months I drive up and back every weekend, and barely give it a second thought. I can think of a couple of times that I've driven there and back in one day, and it wasn't fun, but manageable as a one-off.

I did London to Switzerland trip with my DC. Left 2am in the morning, arrived 5pm the same day. Won't lie that it was easy; but could do happily do 6h drive non-stop.