Holiday Travel Safety Tips

Personal Injury Lawyer

Holidays are a good opportunity to enjoy time spent together with family and friends. While holiday travel can be adventurous fun, it can also be hazardous. To help ensure a successful holiday trip, pay attention to the following travel safety tips.

1. Make a Plan

You should plan a travel itinerary well before your trip. This may be extremely specific, or it may be just an outline with plenty of room for flexibility, but you should have at least a general idea of where you will be and when at all times during your trip.

2. Communicate Your Itinerary

Once you have your itinerary planned out, you should give a copy to someone trustworthy who is not joining you on the trip, along with your contact information. In case something happens while you are traveling, it is important that you leave someone behind who knows where you’re going and how to reach you.

3. Maintain Your Vehicle

Assuming that you are traveling by car, be sure that it is in good working order before setting out. Prepare an emergency kit to keep in your car in case you get stranded for some time. At the very least, this should contain extra water, nonperishable food, and medical supplies.

4. Figure Out Alternate Routes

Unforeseen circumstances can arise that prevent you from following your planned route exactly. Depending on what is causing the difficulty, there may be a detour marked, but this is unlikely if it is a common occurrence like traffic. Learn about alternate routes you can use beforehand so you can take them when necessary.

5. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can cause dangerous symptoms, such as decreased alertness or fatigue. If you are planning to be in the car for hours at a time, bring along a few bottles of water and take frequent sips.

6. Maintain Good Hygiene

Of course, this is always important, but especially so on a bus or train, where hundreds of people have been touching the same surfaces and leaving behind germs. Wash your hands frequently if possible, and if not, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

7. Take Frequent Breaks

Schedule at least a few minutes every couple of hours to rest and stretch your legs. This helps to increase your level of alertness and combat fatigue.

8. Be Aware of Weather Conditions

Rain, snow, and wind can all make driving more difficult and dangerous. Weather isn’t always predictable, but check the forecast before setting out so that you have an idea of what to expect.

If you are involved in an accident while traveling, contact an attorney, like a personal injury attorney, at the Morales Law Firm, as soon as you are able.