Australia will be hosting dozens of music festivals over the summer, with many seeing people travelling from interstate to attend.

My 24 year-old son recently travelled from Sydney to Canberra to attend Spilt Milk, and will soon head to Hesse in Victoria to attend Beyond the Valley. Both of these involve long road trips with his friends, and although at 24 they all have their full licence, as Inner West Sydney locals, none are drawing on extensive country or even motorway driving experience.

So let’s go through how they can do this as safely as possible, with Pacing, Packing, Playlists, Passenger Power all part of the planning.

Pacing

The most important thing is to do this leave enough time to get to and from the event.

It’s a two day drive from Sydney to west of Geelong in Victoria. My son’s mates have divided up driving duties, and mapped out breaks on the way down, including an overnight stay in Albury. They have allowed for more than enough time, so there won’t be any pressure to get there in time for opening acts, or to set up their tents or finalise construction of their ‘Doof Stick.’ (note for parents, a doof stick is what festival goers use to help find each other in the crowd, the more creative the better).

On the way back, they haven’t yet booked accommodation, because they can’t predict how congested the traffic will be, so they didn’t want to be locked into anywhere too far away if they are stuck in gridlock getting out of the festival venue. And after three days of what may be not enough sleep, they are also aware that they won’t be able to get too far on the first leg of their journey home.

A positive attitude will help them cope with any delays, and avoid the temptation to either pick up the pace or find alternative short cuts on back roads to try to make up time.

And it goes without saying that those who are designated drivers especially need to get a good night’s sleep before, and refrain from consuming anything that might impede judgement on the road. Driving mates home is a big responsibility, not one to be taken lightly.

Packing

A multi-day music festival requires tents, sleeping bags, food, water, and, hopefully, bathing and grooming supplies. Enough for all four of them in their Rav 4, as well as the young men themselves.

In packing for the journey, they will need to be careful not to overload the car, taking only what they need. Luckily, there is a large boot area, but they need to be careful not to overload the back so that it doesn’t obstruct rear vision, and items don’t become projectiles if they need to stop suddenly. Heavy items at the bottom, keeping the centre of gravity down low. And if they need to use the roof racks, only lightweight items on top, properly held down for motorway speeds.  Check out our separate blog to learn more about packing like a boss!

And don’t think you need to pack all your food supplies. One of the joys of long road trips is pulling into country towns to sample local dining options. Ask around for where to find the best pies, the best burgers, the best smoothies, between your home and destination.

Playlists

Hardstyle might be great fun in an arena, but it isn’t the right type of music in the car. In my Spotify Wrapped in 2025 was Down Tempo. Great music to drive, or work, to as it is lyric-free and between 70 and 110 beats per minute. RSE has a playlist you can build from on Spotify.

Being on their full licence, my son and his mates can plug their phones straight into the car’s stereo, but if they were younger and on their P’s they would need to go old school with either a CD (the car has a player) or an MP3 player, or tune into Triple J.

To avoid the temptation of distractions, setting the playlists up before departing is a must, as is setting up ground rules on who has ultimate control over the music. Ideally, this will be the driver, but passengers need to feel comfortable to speak up over any music that is going to either put the driver to sleep or hype him up too much.

Passenger Power

4 young people in a car has traditionally been associated with heightened risk, but they can change this equation.

The passenger in the front seat has the important role of co-pilot, keeping the driver focused, and acting as a second set of eyes. No sleeping for this passenger. And they must have no hesitations on speaking up if they spot anything unsafe, in the car or outside.

The passengers in the back are free to sleep, as long as they can do so sitting up, keeping their seatbelts in the right position. And of course, should also feel free to call out anything unsafe.

Planning paying off

While my son and his friends are delightful and responsible young men, like all parents I will only truly relax once they are safely at their destinations. But the forward planning they have put into their journeys to and from the festivals is giving me some comfort that they have taken their responsibilities on the road seriously. And that they are realistic about traffic conditions, their own capabilities on the road, and the capacity of the car in which they will be travelling.

The conversations I have had with my son, and his friends, are an investment in their safe journey. “Drive safe” is more than just a throw away line. It is a directive, an instruction, and a plea, to all of them.

For more driving tips and stories explore the ‘Drive Safe, Arrive Safe’ site here