7 Safe Driving Tips For The Holiday Season

With Christmas and New Year’s right around the corner, AAA estimates that over 98.6 million will take to the road this holiday season. In fact, during the Christmas/New Year’s holiday travel period, the number of long distance travelers on the road typically increases by around 23 percent over a normal travel day.

The heavy traffic load coupled with winter weather and boozy celebrations make this a potentially dangerous time to be driving. According to the NHTSA, las year alone saw nearly 27,000 injuries and 250 fatalities during the holiday season.

However, for most people, staying off the road this time of year is not a possibility. If you have to travel long distances or drive on Christmas or New Year’s, following a few safety tips from a Los Angeles car accident lawyer may significantly decrease your chance of an accident.

1. First and foremost, don’t drink and drive. It sounds simple but the reality is that during the holidays, a significant potion of auto accident fatalities are a direct result of drunk driving. 42 percent of New Year’s and 35 percent of Christmas car accident deaths are alcohol related.
2. Have your car serviced before you leave. Check your tire pressure and tread level, top off or change oil and important car fluids, and have your breaks inspected. A well maintained car is a much safer car, especially in poor weather conditions.
3. Pay attention to road conditions and safety warnings. If chains are recommended or required make sure to put them on your car.
4. Avoid tailgating or following too closely. This is true all of the time, but even more important on wet, icy, or snowy roads. It is recommended that you double the normal distance between you and the car in front of you in such conditions.
5. Watch your speed. Driving too fast in heavy traffic and in winter weather conditions is extremely dangerous. It takes 10 times longer to brake on icy or snowy pavement than it does on dry asphalt.
6. Free your self from distractions. There is not much you can do about kids audibly wondering if you are ‘there’ yet, but leave the phone, food, radio, and make up alone while you are behind the wheel.
7. Don’t overpack your car. With presents, luggage, and family to bring on holiday trips, it’s easy to overpack the back of your car. However, if those gifts get piled too high, they can impact your ability to see out the back, creating dangerous (sometimes complete) blind spots. Also, in the even of an accident, loose items can become dangerous projectiles that can cause serious injury.