By Marcus Fernandez
During the holiday season, you’ll typically want to enjoy spending time with family members, sharing meals with friends, and traveling to see loved ones. Whether you plan to travel down the road or across the country, it’s important to make sure you plan for a safe journey. While planning ahead for holiday travel isn’t always fun, it’s a necessary part of making sure that your trip is a safe one. Even if something bad or unexpected happens, planning ahead will ensure that you’re still able to have a great trip.
Holiday Travel Safety Tips
1. Let someone know where you’re going
While it might seem like common sense, make sure that you let a neighbor or close friend know about your holiday travel including where you’re going, how long you’ll be gone, and when you expect to return home. Even if you don’t need a house sitter, it’s a good idea to leave your travel contact information with someone in case there’s a personal emergency, such as a fire at your home. If you rent your house, let your landlord know where you’re going and how long you’ll be gone.
2. Plan to stay overnight
If you’re driving to your destination, always bring enough money to stay at a hotel if you need to. While there’s nothing wrong with driving straight through, make sure that you’re able to stop if you need to. If you begin to feel drowsy or you encounter bad weather, it’s a much smarter choice to stop and stay overnight at a hotel than to push through and risk wrecking your vehicle.
3. Pack for weather changes
If your holiday travel is taking you someplace cold, make sure that you pack weather-appropriate clothing. Consider packing options that are easy to layer that can provide additional warmth if needed. Should you experience a delay during your trip or bad weather on your way home, you’ll be glad to have something warm to wear.
4. Create a backup plan
No matter what your holiday plans might be, always have a backup plan in place. If you plan to drive to your destination, make sure that you consider alternate routes in case a road is closed. Applications such as Waze and CoPilot GPS are handy to help you navigate around unexpected roadblocks. If you’re going to fly, know what you’ll do if your flight is delayed or canceled due to weather. While changing your holiday travel plans at the last minute can be stressful, having a backup plan can reduce your anxiety.
Remember that the holiday season is about togetherness and fun. It’s important that you try to relax as much as possible during your trip. Even if spending too much time with your relatives can be stressful or you’re dreading the trip to your destination, try to have a good attitude. When you view the experience positively, the people around you will too.
Stay safe during the holiday season, but if you find yourself in need of a car accident lawyer, contact us today.
