Traffic Safety Tips to Get Home for the Holidays Without Accidents
The holidays are coming up, which means that seasonal travel is getting ready to take over roads, highways, and skyways, opening up the opportunity for traffic jams, airport frustration, and accidents. Weather-related causes of accidents during winter range far and wide, including fog, snow, ice, rain, sleet, and low visibility. With difficult weather conditions, limited daylight, and driving around unfamiliar areas, the recipe is set for more dangerous traveling.
Going into the holidays with awareness and a plan around safer driving will help keep everyone safe and sound during the wet and dark winter months. Here are some traffic safety tips.
Planning Ahead
Before you get out on the road, make sure your vehicles are in good shape. While this is always the case for any time of year, it’s even more important for winter driving conditions. Be sure to check the forecast around your holiday travels to see which roads may have hazards on them and make a plan for how you can alter your route.
Another way to prepare your car is to protect it and anyone inside with auto insurance coverage. Again, this tip is universal and should be implemented year-round, but it’s always good to make sure everything is up to date. Speak with your local Hartford car insurance providers, like Byrnes Agency, to get the best coverage.
Watch Your Speed
While it may be normal to want to get to where you need to go in a hurry, spending less time in traffic and behind the wheel, it’s never a better option if you’re stepping on the gas. Give yourself plenty of time and distance to react to the drivers and elements around you. You need to keep the speed limit, and in some instances where roads are a little dicey, going slower than the speed limit may be your best option.
Stay Alert
Make sure you’re well-rested and fresh for the road. Driver fatigue can take hold and end up creating a number of dangerous problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that between 2009 and 2013, there were a total of 72,000 crashes related to driver fatigue, totaling 800 deaths.
Don’t Drive Impaired
The holidays means there’s a good chance you’ll be heading to an office party, family event, or special dinner. The main issue these gatherings present is the potential for drunk driving to occur afterward. Parties might feature alcoholic beverages to raise the spirits of the season, which can boost the chances of impaired driving. Using a designated driver or opting for ride-sharing services, like Uber or Lyft, should be your first plans of how to get to and from holiday events if you plan to drink.
Be Defensive
Increased holiday traffic and winter road conditions, like ice, snow, and water, can be very frustrating. Whether it’s just you behind the wheel or you’re hauling a whole pack of family members, put everyone’s safety first by letting impatient and more aggressive drivers pass you. It always helps to avoid the temptation to drive aggressively, which may be a natural urge during stressful times on the road.
Keep Distractions Away
Distractions for drivers have always been around, but with the advent of social media, video streaming, and cat videos on YouTube, they’ve only gotten more, well, distracting. Sending or receiving text messages alone can take your eyes off the road for five seconds or longer, creating avoidable situations, like not seeing someone in the crosswalk, veering off, or having a fender-bender. Driving requires full attention behind the wheel, something even more important during the winter months.
About Byrnes Agency
At Byrnes Agency, we offer insurance solutions that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for personal policies or commercial coverage, we have the right coverage for you. To learn more about our products, contact us today at one of our two locations.
If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read here and would like to know when we’ve published a new blog post, please “like” us on our Facebook page, and share this with your Connecticut neighbors.
Phone: (860) 774-8549
394 Lake Rd
Dayville, CT 06241
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Phone: (860) 886-5498
6 Consumers Avenue
Norwich, CT 06360
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Tags: auto, Auto Insurance, Byrnes Agency, car, Car Insurance, Holiday Driving, Holiday Traffic, personal insurance, Traffic Safety