Don't drive tired, or under the influence of any substance (including medication).

Make sure everyone is belted up and secured properly before you move.

Don't take risks, and drive to the conditions. Expect wet roads to be quite slippery, and don't try to cross any flooded roads either.

Respect any roadworks signs. The limits aren't just to reduce the speed of impact when workers are on site, it's also to reduce hazards like loose gravel peppering someone else's vehicle and particularly smashing their windscreen.

Roadwork signs are also an indication that things aren't finished yet. The verge may not be there so a breakdown is more likely to become a stationary obstacle. The surface may not be sealed all the way (see above) and therefore offer less traction. And lines might not be marked either.

Be careful around anyone towing a caravan or trailer of some kind. Be mindful of what they can, and more importantly, can't see, and how much more stopping distance they require, even in traffic.

Make sure your vehicle is roadworthy and likely to be reliable before you set off. Also check all of your lights, don't just assume they still work (that applies to every vehicle, not just a trailer or caravan).

Check your tyre pressures again. Under-inflation is not only dangerous, but it also increases rolling resistance and therefore costs you more energy to move. It also causes excessive wear (something else you should check for) on both of the tyre's shoulders (also costing you more through having to replace them early). It's also worth restating that a tyre which needs regular topping up is one that needs a slow leak to be found and rectified before it becomes a flat or a sudden failure.

The other thing you can do is plan ahead. And have an alternative route in mind.

Planning your journey will have you considering the alternative routes you could take, so if your preferred path is going to be packed with traffic or completely blocked by an accident, you at least have some idea of what else you can do to get around it.

Don't count on being able to use online maps. Even where coverage is good, everyone else will be trying to use every network at the same time so have your maps available offline, either pre-loaded in your app or use an actual dedicated GPS device (with up-to-date maps loaded) or a paper map or street directory which was published recently enough to be trustworthy.

You should also expect the roads to be busier than normal. In some cases almost unusably so. As such (and with the 'don't drive tired' mantra in mind) you can also adjust your timings to try and avoid the worst of it. Set off early, or sleep in (or take an afternoon nap) then cruise through after everyone else.

Things to consider along your route include where you will refuel or recharge, as well as where you will eat and have what my grandmother used to call comfort stops.

This is relatively easy to achieve on the open highways (because you'll be driving right alongside these places in many cases, or it's easy to call through a bypassed town and rejoin the major artery on the other side), but it's surprisingly difficult to do in a timely manner when trying to get through or past a city. Such places exist, sure, but they can be tucked away in locations that suit locals and therefore require a planned (and occasionally confusing) detour when you're part-way into a road trip.

Apps for checking the fuel price may not be totally up-to-date and accurate, but checking them during a rest stop (or getting a passenger to do it) may save you a couple of dollars per refill. It's also not worth letting it get too low. Again, you never know when your path will be completely blocked and the detour could be quite long.

And very importantly, have some drinking water with you at all times, not just for occupants to consume along the way but also just in case you're delayed for a long time. Plus, a few healthy snacks wouldn't hurt either (you'll probably overdo the simple carbs like sugar anyway so why make it worse).