What The 3-3-3 Rule Means (And How It Can Keep You Safe On Any Road Trip)

If you haven't spent much time road tripping, you may not realize how easy it can be to misjudge your fatigue level and find yourself in an unsafe situation or feeling completely overwhelmed from days of following a packed itinerary. Avid road trippers who have been traveling cross-country for years or racked up more miles than they can count know how easy it can be to grow tired after hours behind the wheel — and fatigued driving is a reckless road trip mistake that can put everyone in the vehicle at risk. That's why the 3-3-3 road trip rule is a must. It's a handy tip for staying fresh and stress-free while you're vacationing out on the open road by slowing down your travel party's pace and taking plenty of time to rest at each destination. Rather than cramming in as many pit stops as possible or heroically driving from dawn until dusk, the 3-3-3 rule suggests driving a maximum of 300 miles per day, taking a break every three hours, and spending at least three nights at each destination.

Although the genius 3-3-3 rule is often cited by RV travelers looking for ways to stay safe on the long and winding road, it works just as well for overzealous Griswoldian family vacations or 11-hour hauls in the car with your family. Much like the handy "rule of threes" of survival that says humans can survive three minutes without air, three hours of extreme temperature, three days without water, and three weeks without food, knowing the 3-3-3 road trip rule could quite literally save your life by preventing a drowsy driving accident. Beyond that, the 3-3-3 rule helps ensure that you and your crew have a good time by allowing everyone to avoid road trip burnout.

If your dream road trip involves a full schedule of quirky roadside stops and ticking off as many cool little towns as you can cram into your itinerary, the 3-3-3 rule is not for you. But if your goal is to be completely present and safe while embracing each new experience as fully as possible, this rule may become just as essential to your road trip planning as a good pair of jumper cables and a well-curated playlist to accompany your perfect U.S. road trip. 

Every day of your road trip revolves around an abbreviated travel day. Three hundred miles, the prescribed time you'll spend on the road with the 3-3-3 rule, adds up to about five hours per day if you're traveling 60 miles an hour or four hours at 75 miles per hour under bluebird conditions. Despite the short drive time, the rule also suggests taking a break after three hours. While you can wing it and just stop at the nearest rest stop, clever planners could maximize their travel mojo by organizing a fun little stop at a roadside shop like Uranus Fudge Factory in Missouri or Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios, both on Route 66. 

The third "3" in the 3-3-3 rule is the three days road trippers spend at each destination. This is especially important for campers since setup and breakdown can be time intensive. But it also works with hotels or Airbnbs, since spending more time at a destination slows down your experience, allowing you to get fully rested in a way you just can't when your hotel room is little more than a temporary crash pad. As a bonus "3," try checking in to your hotel room as early as possible (usually 3 p.m.) so there's plenty of time to settle in for the night and your room isn't given to someone else.