7 Steps to Take before Hitting the Road for the Holidays: Essential Driving Safety for Holiday Traveling

About 81 million people will be hitting the roads this week to travel to their holiday celebrations. And the average holiday driver will be traveling about 270 miles this year.

If you will be among these motorists, here are some essential driving safety tips to remember in order to minimize your risk of a traffic crash and ensure you get to and from your celebrations safely:

1. Make sure you are ready to drive – In other words, rest up, be sober and be prepared to focus on the road. Do what you can to avoid taking off for longer road trips when you are run down or less alert than you could be.
2. Prepare your winter driving safety kit – These kits should include resources to protect you, assist you in calling for help or aid in you getting back on the road if you break down  or are in a wreck during your travels. While you can get some in-depth details about how to prepare these kits here, when you are ready to store your kit in your vehicle, be sure to keep in within the cabin if you cannot access the trunk from the cabin (this will be critical if your trunk lock freezes over).
3. Check the weather & your course before leaving – Be on the lookout for poor weather predicted along your course or for regions of your route to be closed (if you are traveling through snowier areas). Be open to moving your departure time around to avoid adverse weather and/or road conditions.
4. Plan some breaks for longer drives – While you’ll need to stop for fuel if you’ll driving further to get to your holiday celebrations, it’s also good to stop periodically to stretch your legs, get some refreshments and do what’s necessary to remain a vigilant and responsive driver.
5. Share your travel plans with others – Before you get ready to take off, call and/or email your loved ones your plans. Include details about your route, your departure time and your expected time of arrival. If you don’t arrive at your destination when expected for whatever reason, your loved ones will know where to start looking – and this could be essential if you are stuck on the road somewhere and you need help.
6. Practice defensive driving on the roads – In other words, follow all of the traffic laws, and anticipate that other drivers won’t do the same. This will keep you as responsive as possible if or when other drivers cut you off, run  red lights, etc.
7. Buckle up – And make sure all of your passengers are properly restrained as well. If a crash happens, wearing a seatbelt is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of injuries (as buckling up can cut this risk in half0.

Contact a Littleton Car Accident Lawyer at Littleton Lawyers™

If you have been hurt in a traffic crash, contact a Littleton car accident lawyer at Littleton Lawyers™ to find out more about your options for financial recovery.

To get more information about your potential case and options for moving forward, meet with us for a free, no obligations initial consultation. You can set up this meeting by calling (303) 794-7422 or emailing us using the form on this page.