How To Travel In Uganda By Car?

Getting around Uganda has got a number of ways and usually most travelers choose between private or public means of transportation but private means takes the biggest percent for visitors who are interested in self drive or guided tours to the national parks and most tourist sites in Uganda. Along the way, there are certain things that you will most likely to encounter and you have overcome them. If you are planning to travel in Uganda by car, below are some of the essential tips to guide you through;

Before setting off, make sure that you carry out some safety check to ascertain if the car rental you intend to use will take you through out your journey safely.

Put the lights on and walk around the car to see if all the lights are working well and they are in their better condition. Most of Uganda’s tourist sites are located far from the city centre and higher chances are that you can reach late a case of Kidepo Valley National Park, Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and you will need to have all lights to be working. As you drive, the headlights should be on as a car can be seen at a distance and this will protect you from any accidents.

Cross check if the blinkers are in better state.

There are shouldn’t be any cases of fluid leaks or things hanging from the vehicle that you intend to use for Uganda safari.

Check if the tyres are in a better state and if they are inflated. It hurts for you to hit the road and after few kilometers the tyres start disturbing you. A spare tyre is always essential for both long and short trips, and even two spare tyres for longer distances.

While you are inside the car, all the mirrors and seats should be adjusted before fixing the key in the ignition. To adjust the left mirror well, your head should be against the left window and adjust the mirror so that you are in position to view the left side of the car. The right mirror, can be adjusted by moving your head towards the centre of the car and adjust the right mirror in the same way. When you are sitting well in the driver’s seat, you won’t be in position to view the car well but your blind spots will be highly minimized.

Be on your seat belts at all times. This is not like a punishment but just for your own safety on the road.

Before crossing, turn to your left and then right, straight ahead and then left once again to see if there is any car that is a head or also crossing.

Be careful while at traffic lights in Uganda, once a light changes green, look left then right straight ahead then left again before you set off.

Keep your eye contact and see what is happening on the road side and check behind you through your mirrors each 6 to 8 seconds or more.

In case you are driving along a two way route which allows parking on the right, remain at the centre line to give space for others who may need to open their doors to exit their cars in front of yours. If at all there is no parking space along the road then position the car towards the right to create more space between you and on coming traffic.

Expect that other drivers are also bound to make mistakes and think what you would do in case it happens while you are on your road trip in Uganda. Be prepared to react in case it doesn’t stop. Do not cause accidents on purpose even if a pedestrian or another car fails to pave way for you.

A rear facing baby seat must not be fitted into a seat protected by an active frontal airbag as in a crash it can result into severe injuries or even death to the child.

Do not drive when you are tired as this brings higher risks of collision. You should be fit to drive or else give the colleague to also take over. A minimum break of about a quarter hour after each 2 hours’ drive is allowed in case you become sleepy stop in a safer area and give yourself a rest.

Be careful with your vision. Make sure that you are in position to read a car number plate in daylight at a distance of about 20 meters. In case you need to put on glasses to help you on this, make sure that you put on them at all times while traveling in Uganda.

In conclusion, if you are planning to embark on self drive safari in Uganda, you need to take note of the above listed tips to help you have the best road trip to any tourist sites of your choice.