Road trip myths which endanger Singaporean travellers on driveaway holidays

These road trip myths endanger Singaporean travellers on driveaway holidays to Malaysia. 

Dispelling the said myths here would help to keep your family and friends safe on those long motoring journeys to holiday destinations across our shared border with Malaysia. 

Amidst the joy and excitement of hitting the tropical highway up, there are certain “common sense” SG-MY driving habits which are actually not sensible, because they are derived from misguided road-safety myths instead of proven overseas defensive-driving tips.  

Wrongly believing these myths put you at extra risk while road-tripping from Singapore to Malaysia and back, so let’s bust them here and now. 

Myth 1 - Driving at night is safer because traffic will be lighter.

Many drivers believe that avoiding daytime congestion means a smoother journey, but night driving is riskier than you think.

Visibility is greatly reduced. Even with powerful headlights illuminating a dark road, it is still much harder to spot obstacles and read road signs. Greater driving fatigue at ungodly hours is another risk, with the body’s natural sleep cycle increasing potential drowsiness/sleepiness behind the wheel. Traffic accidents at night also tend to result in more serious injuries and more severe vehicle damage. 

If you do decide to drive up at night despite the bigger dangers, be smart about it and arrive alive. Take frequent breaks from the driving, at least every hour or so, and make a pitstop promptly if you feel sleepy at any stage. Before moving out, ensure that your car’s headlights, tail-lights, brake-lights and indicators are fully functional. 

Myth 2 - Skipping breaks is fine as long as you drink coffee.

Some drivers believe that caffeine can replace rest between the start and end of a long-distance drive. This is dangerously false. 

Coffee may temporarily improve one’s alertness, but cannot counteract sleep deprivation. Even if you feel awake while controlling your car and all, microsnooze moments (a few seconds of involuntary sleep which might stretch to half a minute) could occur and cause a crash. 

Instead of relying on strong coffee, you should schedule regular pitstops en route. Stretch or walk around at the rest-and-service areas. Take a quick nap of 15 to 30 minutes whenever needed. Hydrate with plain water instead of coffee - black or otherwise. 

Myth 3 - Relying solely on GPS guarantees smooth road travel.

Most drivers put their wayfinding faith in popular and proven navigation apps such as Waze and Google Maps, which connect to the dashboard infotainment via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But the technology is not foolproof. 

GPS applications and systems might not account for real-time hazards such as random roadworks, recent traffic accidents/incidents and flooded areas. Over-reliance on GPS prompts could distract the driver, who should keep his/her eyes on the road. 

The most on-the-ball roadscape navigators cross-check the GPS directions against local traffic updates on the radio, familiarise themselves with alternative routes before departure, and bring a backup map (offline or printed) in case of poor mobile signal. 

Myth 4 - Ignoring minor traffic rules won’t cause problems.

Going faster than the posted speed limit - by a bit or a lot. Running a stop sign on a little road with light traffic. Overtaking slower vehicles at every opportunity. These are part of a mindset common among motorists who (think they) know what they are doing while motoring in Malaysia. 

The reality on the road tends to be a different story, though. Minor traffic infractions accumulate and eventually lead to an unexpected accident. Malaysia’s JPJ (Road Traffic Department) officers enforce speed limits, compulsory seatbelt usage and mobile phone restrictions. 

Note, too, that local roads around kampung areas often have children walking/running around and motorcyclists on the move, so any driving mistake, intentional or accidental, could be fatal.

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