With Halloween behind us, thoughts are turning to the upcoming holiday season – which often includes travel for family vacations or visits with loved ones.
With extra traffic on the roads and the possibility of dangerous weather at your destination, it’s important that you take certain safety precautions to make sure you and your family make it to your destination safely. Use the tips under the jump to have the happiest, healthiest, safest holiday season possible.
- Take care of maintenance – We’ve all let our cars go a little too long without an oil change, but a winter road trip is not the time to take risks with maintenance. If that’s not possible, consider renting a car to keep everyone safe.
- Have a plan – Map out your route ahead of time and know what you can expect from the weather and traffic. Give yourself plenty of time to avoid speeding or driving while stressed – it puts you and everyone on the road at risk.
- Gather the information you need – Make sure you have contact information for an emergency contact like a friend or relative, as well as any roadside assistance resources like AAA. Have these numbers on your phone and printed out – just in case.
- Protect your belongings – Even leaving your vehicle long enough to get lunch or fuel can put your cargo at risk. Keep anything of value out of sight in your trunk or covered storage space.
- Keep your phone charged and ready… — You never know when you may need to call for a tow truck or roadside assistance. Don’t let your battery run too low to avoid being stuck on the road without a line of communication.
- … but only use it in an emergency! – It’s smart to have your phone handy, but only use it when safe. Don’t call, text, tweet, browse, snap or “insta” unless your car is stopped or in case of an emergency. Let a passenger make calls, check the weather or change the music instead.
We hope all of our neighbors in Florida have a very safe and happy holiday season!
