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Checking your holiday travel preparations before hitting the road

On Behalf of | Nov 29, 2019 | Personal Injury |

Though Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday season is far from over. You may have stayed at home and had family come to you for this latest get-together, but it may be your turn to travel when the Christmas holiday rolls around. As a result, you may want to start your holiday travel preparations now.

Traveling for the holidays can bring about mixed emotions. Some people may love it because it can seem like a mini-vacation with loved ones, and others may hate getting stuck in traffic or otherwise spending long hours on the road. No matter what category you fall into, it is important that you do your best to stay safe while on the road.

Check, check and recheck

Preparations for holiday travel can involve a lot of checking. You will need to check that everything is packed on time, check that your kids are ready for the travel, check that you made arrangements for your pets, and check that any other matters that will need addressing while you are gone are handled. Of course, you will also need to check the following factors before you hit the road:

  • Vehicle maintenance: Check to ensure that your vehicle has had routine maintenance completed before you hit the road, such as an oil change, tire check, battery test and more.
  • Winter driving: Check to make sure you know how to handle inclement weather conditions when on the road.
  • Weather: Check the weather before you get on the road to determine whether you may hit that inclement weather for which you need to prepare.
  • Safety seats: If you have young children, check that you have buckled them in correctly and properly installed car seats.
  • Breaks: Check to ensure that your co-pilot (if you have one) is ready to take over every 100 miles or so to give you a break from driving, or check that you have rest stops mapped out for breaks if you are doing all the driving.
  • Directions: Check to make sure your GPS already has your destination mapped out before you hit the road to avoid having to adjust it while driving.

It can seem like a lot to get ready, but it is important to consider all safety aspects. After all, you do not want to cause an accident on the way to your holiday festivities. Unfortunately, you cannot always prepare for the actions of other drivers, and there is a chance that another person may cause a crash that leaves you or your family injured. If so, your holiday season may include researching your personal injury claims options.

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