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Stay safe when you’re on the road this month
It’s time to hit the road again! Americans get more mobile during the two weeks around the year-end holidays than any other time of the year. So, during those two weeks each year, the roads are loaded with traffic – like rush hour on steroids! No wonder, then, that accidents and highway fatalities skyrocket around the holidays. So many of us are moving from Point A to Point B (or D or J or X) that we’re bound to bump into each other more!
Instead of staying home and turning into a lump of figgy pudding, though, you can take steps to make your travel safer and happier this holiday. Here’s a list of hazards you might encounter, and a sampling of remedies for those dangers. |
Distractions
Believe it or not, the greatest hazard to safe driving at any time of year isn’t talking on the phone or eating while driving – it’s external distractions. Picture this: You’re on the way to Grandmother’s house, but she’s no longer over the river and through the woods. She’s bought a condo in a town you’ve never visited, and the map you got from the Internet isn’t even close to the directions she gave you on the phone. You’re driving at half the speed limit, sure, but you’re on a strange road, in a strange neighborhood. It’s almost dark, and while driving, you’re trying to read street signs and house numbers.
What you can do:
- Plan ahead. Check several trusted Websites and compare all their directions to Grandmother’s. Try the aerial or bird’s-eye views to get a sense of the surroundings where you’re going. If none of the sites agree, call someone who’s been to Grandmother’s and get help.
- Delegate. Have someone else read the map and call out directions. Make sure you and your navigator agree on terminology, so he’s not shouting out, “Turn here – no, here! HERE!” when you just need a simple “left,” “right,” or “go straight up.”
- Timing. While you’re out on the Web, check estimates on the length of your trip. You can also get information on road conditions and construction from government Websites in the states where you’re traveling. Then leave in time to arrive before dusk, when visibility drops like a rock.
Fatigue
The road to Grandmother’s condo is long. The kids have been asking if you’re there yet for roughly two hours longer than you’ve been on the road – when they haven’t been clamoring to go to the bathroom, that is. Your designated co-driver was up all night cleaning and packing and fell asleep as you were backing out of the driveway. You can feel your brain slipping away from you, and this trip is starting to feel like an endless journey to nowhere.
What you can do:
- Plan ahead (again). Fill seat-back organizers with coloring books, crayons, and car games to keep the kids occupied. If they’re not bored, they’ll whine less. Pack stay-alert snacks for the driver and navigator. But this doesn’t mean sodas and chocolate, which will just make you jumpy. You may be more awake, but you won’t feel any less tired. Go for snacks like fresh fruit, packages of nuts, trail mix, peanut-butter crackers, and bottles of cool water. Make sure they’re easy handling, though, so you’re not distracted by spills.
- Announce a schedule. Before you leave, inform everyone in your party of regularly scheduled pit stops. That doesn’t mean you can’t make additional stops at “off” times, but knowing there’s a scheduled break half an hour down the road can make it easier to wait.
- Pull off the road before your brain stops working. A regular break schedule will help. Getting out of the car and stretching periodically can keep you more alert. But if you start feeling sleepy, or you and your navigator notice you’re doing things like nodding, yawning uncontrollably, blinking and forgetting to open your eyes, or suddenly realizing you don’t remember the last 15 miles you’ve driven, it’s time to stop. Now. Take a break, take a walk, get a room – but get off the road before you hurt someone.
More traffic
Many other drivers are just as tired and distracted as you are.
What you can do:
- Drive defensively. Staying alert, knowing where you’re going, and minimizing distractions are important. So is being aware that other people might not be doing those things. Rehearse in your mind – over and over, in detail – what you’d do if someone cut in front of you, swerved across lanes, got on the interstate coming the wrong direction (toward you!), or any other scary scenario your mind will cook up. The more often you’ve gone over the appropriate response, step by step, in your imagination, the more naturally that response will come to you if it’s needed.
- Follow the rules and be courteous. Just because everyone else is going 30 miles over the speed limit, doesn’t mean you have to. Contrary to what your lead-foot friend says, they won’t run over you – they’ll just pass you really fast and locate the highway patrol for you! And no riding the bumpers of people going under the speed limit. Remember, it’s an upper legal limit, not a minimum-speed suggestion. Oh, and by the way, stay in your own lane, please. Don’t switch back and forth unnecessarily – it’s distracting to the rest of us!
- Hang up and drive. If you need to call for more detailed directions or to let Grandmother know you’re going to be late, hand the phone to your navigator or pull over to make the call. Holding a phone up to your ear obstructs your vision, and besides, it’s one more distraction you don’t need.
Impaired drivers and other real or impending emergencies
Impaired drivers and other real or impending emergencies
What you can do:
- Pay attention. Drive defensively. Know what a drunk driver looks like from a distance. If you spot a car drifting across lanes, going significantly slower than the speed limit, hugging the center line, or cruising for miles with a turn signal on, play it safe. First, keep your distance, and second, it might be a good idea to pull over and call the authorities.
- Stay in your vehicle. If you witness an accident, pay attention to the details so you can report them accurately, but don’t get out and try to help unless you’re trained to do something specific to the situation. Call 911 and stay out of the professionals’ way.
- Know where you are. It’s easier to get help in an emergency if you can tell the operator not only the highway and direction you’re traveling, but what exit or mile marker you’re closest to. Unlike land lines, which can be located quickly, cell phones can only be tracked to the nearest cell phone tower. That can leave too much to chance if you need someone to find you fast.
The Bottom Line
Plan your trip, minimize your distractions, stay alert, stop when you’re tired, keep your sense of humor – the best defense against whining kids, horrible traffic, and road rage – and arrive alive. Happy holidays!
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