How to Stay Safe on the Highway During Holiday Travel
by
How to Stay
Safe on the Highway During Holiday Travel
For many travelers, going home for a holiday means hitting the
road. This often translates to crowded highways, and everyone is in a hurry to
get to their destination. Winter storms also can make it harder to drive, and
so are fellow drivers who may have attended a party a few hours ago. As
attorneys, we have worked with many accident victims, and we know how important
it is to drive safe. After all, the holiday season should be the time to
celebrate with family and friends, but not a time to deal with auto accidents.
To stay safe, you need to plan in advance and follow these tips.
Don’t drive
while drunk
If you happen to consume any alcohol at a family gathering or
office party, do not fool yourself into thinking that you can drive well. Don’t
allow a drunk driver to get behind the wheel either. There are serious
consequences like getting arrested and being charged with a DUI. And if the
police don’t catch you, you can cause an accident which may lead to injury to
yourself and passengers, other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and vehicle
damage.
You can opt for safe alternatives such as:
·
Calling a taxi
·
Using public transportation
·
Using a designated sober driver
Don’t drive
when drowsy
Sometimes you want to get to your destination as quickly as
possible, so you decide to drive for longer hours at once. The longer you
drive, the drowsier you get. Driving while fatigued is as dangerous as driving
under the influence of alcohol. Make sure that you break up your trip and take
as much time as you need to get to your destination.
Don’t use
your phone while driving
Calls, text messages and browsing online can be a great
distraction while driving. How can you focus on the road if you keep using your
phone? Distracted driving is dangerous. Stop the car if you have to take a call
and just avoid texting.
Don’t speed
Often, you may be in a hurry to get to an event, gathering or a
religious service on time. However pressed you may be, don’t give in to the
urge to speed. Driving fast can make you lose control of the car. It will also
reduce your ability to avoid crashes. The best option is to allocate plenty of
time for everything you need to do.
But, what if
you are involved in an accident? The most important thing is to stay calm and
collect and record as much evidence as possible by:
·
Take notes on the flow of traffic, the time the accident occurred
and what caused it
·
Jot down the damages to all vehicles involved
·
Take photographs because they are essential evidence
·
Gather names of witnesses because it will help in proving your
claims
·
If injured, seek medical treatment
The person investigating the accident will ask questions. Provide
all the information you gathered because it will help to claim for compensation,
especially if it wasn’t your fault.
If you have any questions this Holiday Season, please give us a
call at 904-400-7272 or I can be reached by email at warren@glennwarrenlaw.com.
