Safe Driving Tips For Holiday Season

One of the most useful tips about safe driving during holiday seasons, especially at Christmas and New Year’s time, is to stay home. It will be a much more comfortable and less-stressful holiday if you can gather with your loved ones in the safety of your home. However, in today’s holiday traditions, that may be almost impossible for most people, There are the office parties, visits to Grandmother’s house in the next town, trips to the airport to celebrate holidays in mountain snow or on sandy beaches. There are dozens of reasons to be on the roads during the holidays, from short trips around your neighborhood to long trips around the world. The challenge is to be able to do it with safety for you, members of your family and other drivers intent on getting to their holiday destinations. Here are just a few tip on how to do it safely: 1. Drunk driving: This is certainly one of the leading the causes for car accidents during holiday season. Simply put: if you’re behind the wheel, don’t drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one or two beers or glasses of holiday wine, get a taxi or have a totally-sober person drive you home. 2. Be alert for drunk drivers: Even though you’re perfectly sober, road conditions are much more dangerous during holiday season because of drivers who’ve had too much to drink. Be alert at all times for when you see a car moving erratically near you. If you believe it can be a danger for others, call 9-1-1 and give the location to the operator. 3. Offer to help: When you’re at a holiday party, and you observe a person there who has had too much to drink, offer to drive the drinking guest home. Don’t volunteer unless you are totally sober, and are aware that many laws can convict you of drunk driving while behind the wheel even if you’ve had just one alcoholic drink. The breath test often makes even the modest drinker potentially guilty, especially when caught during the heavy holiday police presence on the roads. 4. Be patient and observant: Traffic will be heavy during holiday season, especially in entertainment, retail and restaurant areas where parking lots will be full of people driving in and out and onto roads, often not paying close attention to traffic. Be prepared to stop and to be patient when caught in slow traffic. 5. Prepare for ice and snow: While kids dream of a white Christmas, drivers during that season may find white streets and roads a nightmare. When you venture out during holiday season, be sure your car is properly equipped to handle icy and snowy roads. In some low temperature areas, snow tires or chains are the safest way to drive under those difficult conditions. Additionally, if you’ll be going long distances in such weather, be sure you have a cell phone or other electronic communications device that can call for help in an emergency. A Global Positioning System (GPS) in the car can warn the driver of bad winter conditions ahead, as well as provide information on nearby service stations, motels and police and emergency services. Safe driving during holiday season requires extra alertness, preparation for possible snow and ice conditions, total sobriety and patience. If you can exhibit all of those qualities while behind the wheel, your chances of arriving safely at grandmother’s house for the family’s holiday celebration are very good indeed. Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11