With December just around the corner, you can start preparing for the holiday season. In a few days, you’ll be out on the roads with your family, making the most of these good days. However, this holiday season also comes with a plethora of challenges that put hindrances in safe driving. It is this time of the year when you’ll encounter harsh weather conditions, limited daylight, and traffic congestions at almost any road you come out on. Here we have highlighted some tips to help you drive safely in the holiday season.
- Prepare Everything In Advance
Before you bring your vehicles out on the road, make sure your car is in its perfect shape to drive. More importantly, when the climate is cold, you will have to run several tests on your vehicle to ensure everything is in proper working condition. Every time you head out in this weather, make a habit of checking the weather and the news to decide if the roads are safe enough to drive on. Lastly, carry a windshield scraper in case it starts snowing heavily.
- Rest Well Before Heading Out
Holiday outings with family aren’t short trips to a nearby place. You’d prefer to take your family to places they don’t visit frequently, which includes neighbouring cities and towns. Make sure you’re well-rested before you start your long drive. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) carried out a study that discovered almost 72,000 highway car crashes, 44,000 severe injuries, and around 800 casualties only from the year 2009-2013. All of these accidents were caused by driver fatigue. Therefore, it’s highly important that you don’t over-exert, and that you never drive beyond your capacity. Plan the trip by allocating a set number of hours for one driver and then give others the chance behind the wheel, or you could take regular breaks to avoid drowsiness. Remember, reaching your destination an hour late is better than not reaching at all!
- Keep A Check On The Speedometer
We all are aware of the consequences of over-speeding. “Speed thrills but kills” and similar signs appear in front of us almost daily when we’re out on the roads, but it’s natural for anyone to exceed the speed limit when they’re on a clean highway. According to the Automotive Fleet Magazine article, for every 1% increase in speed, the driver’s chances of an accident go up by 2%, the likelihood of serious injuries increase by 3% and the chances of death go up by 4%. Therefore, give yourself all the time and distance to respond to the traffic in your way.
- Be Defensive When You’re Driving
You’ll inevitably encounter a lot of traffic and harsh winter road conditions when you head out in the holiday season. These factors will frustrate you and increase your stress levels, but remember, the safety of you and your family is paramount. Let the impatient and egoistic drivers go past in closed spaces, to remain in control of the situation.
Make sure you keep yourself and your family safe while enjoying the winter holidays. However, the likelihood of car accidents or any sort of incident cannot be fully eradicated, no matter how careful you are. In the event of such a mishap, gather as much evidence as you can at the event to claim for injuries and damages if the accident was caused by someone else. Get in touch with Hamilton Douglas Legal to avail the services of our highly skilled and professional no win no fee solicitors in Scotland.
