Road Tripping for the Holidays and Safe Driving

By Kelly Balamuth on December 22, 2016

To stay safe during the holidays while travelling to visit friends and family, there are some important steps that families need to take. While not every accident is avoidable, there are reasonable precautions that can hopefully make your road trip a fun and secure one.

Are You Road Trip Ready?

While you may be thinking about the snacks for the car or the number of electronic gadgets and gizmos you are packing to entertain the kids, there are some important planning considerations for families getting ready to hit the road:

1. Have you had the car checked out? Regular and preventative maintenance can help avoid mechanical issues on your journey. Check out your wiper blades and tires especially.
2. Do you have any emergency medicines or prescription refills you might need? Especially if you have family members with serious medical conditions or allergies, this is an essential packing provision.
3. Have you prepared a car emergency kit? Especially if you might be heading into a winter wonderland, be sure you have warm clothing, food, water, flashlights and other essentials in the car.
4. Supplies for the car? This might include extra cellphone batteries and cords, jumper cables, snow scrapers, boots, and a spare tire in good working condition.
5. Plan your route. If you are relying on a cellphone, realize you may lose signal while travelling so be sure you print a copy of the map as well.

While You Are on Your Way

Once your journey begins, to avoid danger, you should:

• Take breaks. Get out of the car and stretch, eat and drink, and get enough rest.
• Don’t drive while you are exhausted. Sleep deprivation can be dangerous.
• Don’t be on your phone while you are driving. Pull over in a rest area if you need to check something. It’s not worth the risk.
• Don’t drive under the influence. If you need to take a medication that impairs you or you want to celebrate, let someone else take the wheel or wait until later.
• Remember that the most important thing to the people you are going to see is that you arrive there safely. It is better to be there late and safe than to risk not getting there at all.
• If the weather is challenging, wait it out.
• If you find yourself feeling frustrated because of traffic or other drivers, give yourself time to cool down. Let someone else take a turn. Don’t become a road rage victim.

The joy of travelling the road makes holiday trips as fun or frustrating as you want them to be. Give yourself enough time to make it safely. And if something does go wrong, reach out to the car accident attorneys at Balamuth Law to help you evaluate your legal rights and responsibilities. Contact us at (925) 254-1234.