Dealing with Holiday Traffic

The holidays are busy times, and traffic can be crazy. Here are a few tips make dealing with holiday traffic a little easier!

It’s that time of year again… Things are about to get very busy! The airports, the holiday shopping, the stores themselves, and the theme parks all usually get a major boost in activity during the holidays—but also the traffic, which is the most important thing to consider.

Traffic can be frustrating, especially on interstates during the holiday season. People are coming from and going to everywhere to visit family and friends and shop for themselves and their loved ones.

For those who live in the south, especially in Florida, this is in addition to the affectionately-termed “snowbirds,” and the roads can get even more dangerous than they already tend to be. Here are a few easy tips to help drivers stay safe on the roads during the busy holidays and even into this new decade.

Pay Attention

When in a vehicle, lives are at stake. Cars go dangerously fast; even speeds that one might consider rather slow can be enough to kill. While a vehicle is in motion and even when it’s not, it is important that the driver’s eyes are on the road and nowhere else.

While driving is not the time to apply makeup, nor play with a phone (especially texting, which distracts a driver from the road entirely) nor dig into a leftover bowl of spaghetti from yesterday’s dinner. To stay safe, the best thing to do is to save those things for when the driving is done, or if they can’t wait, pull off of the road.

Follow the Rules

Roads come with many signs designed to help drivers understand where they need to go and how best to get there safely. There are signs not only along the roadsides, but also painted on the roads themselves. While stuck in traffic or while in a hurry, some drivers will drive through chevrons (those V-shaped stripes that are most often seen marking highway exits) or illegally take an HOV carpool lane, or even drive through the shoulder or median of the road.

They will speed, they will make illegal turns, and they will perform various other illegal maneuvers that endanger the lives of those around them.

It is important not to be one of those drivers and to remember that the rules of the road are designed not only to keep things running smoothly, but also to keep people safe–and alive.

Relax

It’s easy to get frustrated on the road, especially when someone displays road rage, or there’s bumper-to-bumper traffic, or that one horribly long red light juuuust manages to catch someone. It’s important to remember that driving is not for the impatient.

Unfortunately, road rage isn’t uncommon, but it never helps a situation.

In traffic or at a stop light, everyone has to wait his or her turn. Those who are stuck in traffic should simply turn on the radio, open the windows, have an apple, sit back, and chill until things get moving again rather than honk and yell or try to take illegal shortcuts.

If there is an emergency, it’s important to make sure 911 has word of it. Their sirens come in handy. Drivers can even call a friend or consult a GPS device to find the nearest alternate route. In any case, it’s important to simply relax.

If someone decides to be disrespectful somehow on the road, it doesn’t help to start yelling and waving taboo fingers. The other driver probably won’t hear or see it anyway, and if they do, they most likely won’t care. It’s better to simply move on and ignore such things.

Prevent Roadside Breakdowns

Roadside breakdowns can be stressful enough, add in holiday traffic congestion and it’s a million times worse. The best offense is a good defense 😉 So take you car in to your local dealership and make sure everything is in tip top shape!

Following those tips can grant families a safer, happier, and less stressful holiday season!