Learn Real English: Let's go on a road trip!

Want to drive in an English speaking country? In today's lesson we're going on a road trip! I'll teach you vocabulary and expressions you should know if you're a driver or if you are interested in driving. In North America and Europe there is an entire culture of driving and road trips. I'll talk about these special driving vacations, who goes on them, and what kinds of vehicles you'll see on the road. I've gone on many road trips, so I'll recommend the tools and supplies you should have with you. I'll also share my advice and warnings so you can save money and have a safe and enjoyable trip. Ready? Let's hit the road! https://www.engvid.com/learn-r....eal-english-road-tri

TRANSCRIPT

Hi. Welcome back to www.engvid.com. I'm Adam. Today we're going to talk about taking a road trip. Okay? Because this is a very popular activity in Canada and in the US, and I'm thinking in Europe as well, and probably Australia. Big countries where people like to drive, they like to go on road trips, means it's a long trip, you're driving everywhere, staying at hotels, maybe camping out in the woods, all these things. But a lot of things you need to do to prepare and a lot of things you need to know about what to expect on a road trip. Okay?

So, first, you're going to have to have some tools with you, you're going to have to have some gear we also call it. You're going to make sure you're prepared for anything. Okay? Always have a tire gauge. A tire gauge basically measures the air pressure in your tires. You're measuring PSI, pounds per square inch. You want to make sure your tires are full, you want to make sure that you're getting the best mileage out of your car. And you also don't forget your spare tire, the one in the trunk, or underneath, or wherever your spare tire is. Make sure that it is also full, because you don't want to be in the middle of nowhere, have a flat tire, and then you go try to put on your spare and it's also flat. What do you do then, right? Then you have to hike to get a tow truck from somewhere. Just in case, though, take a pump, like a pump to fill air. If you can take a manual pump, you can take an electric pump. Be prepared for flat tires - they do happen.

Also make sure you have a survival kit. If you do get stuck in the middle of nowhere and nobody's going to be coming for a long time, and the next town is far away and you can't really walk to it, you want to be able to survive out wherever you are until a car does pass by. What you want to have, you want to have some flares. A "flare" means it's something you light and it makes this big, big light. You put it on the road, people can see you from miles away. If somebody sees it, they will come help you. In the middle of the night if somebody is driving and your car is on the road, it's dead, no lights on, they won't see you until they hit you. This will make sure that they see you. You can also just have reflectors. So when a light from another car hits this thing, it becomes very bright, very easy to see.

You should also have some edibles. Basically something to eat that won't go bad. Nothing that's fresh, only dry, like nuts, or vacuum-packed things so you always have food with you. Make sure you have a blanket, make sure you have a flashlight, make sure you have some water. If you're stranded, basically... "Stranded" means... One second. "Stranded" means left somewhere alone without any help coming anytime soon, so be ready for that. Also make sure you have a first aid kit. If you want to know what's in a first aid kit and how to use it, watch my other video about first aid. I talk about what should be in a kit, what you need to know for first aid.

Probably a good idea to have a GPS, global positioning satellite. Okay? So you always know where you are, where you need to be. This will also make sure you don't get lost. And if you are lost, how to find your way back to civilization so you're not in the middle of the woods forever. Okay? So, make sure you have all these things before you hit the road. "Hit the road" basically means go drive, go for a drive, go on a road trip. So we say: "Okay, everybody's ready. Okay, let's hit the road. Let's go."

So, on the road, what are you going to need to know on the road? First you need to know what HOV lanes - high-occupancy vehicles. So some... In some places that are very busy, usually in cities, the highways have one lane that is saved only for people with... Only for cars with two or more people in them. If you're by yourself and you're driving in this lane and a policeman catches... Or a police officer-sorry-catches you, that's a big ticket. Stay out of these lanes unless you have two or more people. In some places it will be three or more people. Okay? High-occupancy vehicles.