During the holiday season, there may come a time when you pack your bags, load up your family and hit the road. As exciting as a holiday road trip can be, it’s every bit as dangerous if you don’t know how to protect yourself (and even if you do).
Here are five of the best holiday road trip safety tips you can follow:
- Prepare your vehicle: From changing the oil to checking your tire pressure, make sure your vehicle is ready for the miles that lie ahead. Neglecting to do so increases the risk of a breakdown, as well as an accident.
- Follow the rules of the road: For example, you may be running behind schedule, which leads you to consider driving faster than the speed limit. Violating the rules of the road increases the likelyhood of a moving violation, as well as an accident.
- Get enough sleep before leaving home: Depending on the length of your trip, it may be necessary to bank plenty of sleep before you hit the road. Embarking on a road trip when you’re tired and drowsy is extremely dangerous.
- Avoid distractions: There’s a lot going on inside and outside your vehicle, but it’s up to you to avoid these distractions at all costs. This can include but is not limited to eating, drinking, texting, talking on the phone, conversing with passengers and checking on children (and maybe even pets) in the back seat.
- Prepare for emergencies: What will you do if your car breaks down? What will you do if another driver causes an accident? What steps will you take if a passenger becomes ill? When you prepare for everything, you’re able to efficiently and effectively deal with anything.
Even if you follow these five holiday road trip safety tips, other drivers may not take the same level of caution. There will always be people on the road who are tired, distracted, drowsy and neglecting to follow the rules of the road.
If another driver causes an accident, move to safety and check yourself and passengers for injuries. This is also the right time to call 911 to request an ambulance.
Once you receive treatment, you can file an insurance claim and make sure you’re taking the steps necessary to hold the negligent party responsible for causing the crash.