We’re currently in the thick of the holiday season. Thanksgiving was last month and Christmas is right around the corner. In Kansas City, the roads are full of students home for the holidays, people taking time off of work, and family members visiting from out of town. To help you navigate the challenges of this increased traffic and avoid crashes, here are a few driving tips from a personal injury lawyer who’s handled car crash cases in Kansas City for almost 20 years.
1. Try to avoid late-night driving.
Most crashes occur at night. This is especially true during the holidays, when friends and family are reuniting and celebrating. Driving during the day decreases your odds of coming across a drunk or distracted driver. Daytime driving also increases your visibility, making it easier to be seen by other drivers. If you have to drive at night, make sure you use your headlights and give yourself plenty of distance from other drivers.
2. Don’t drive distracted.
I’ve written ad nauseum about this, but it’s worth repeating during the holiday driving season. Because everyone’s back in town, many people are turning to their phones to reconnect. The temptation to turn your attention to your phone while driving will be great this time of year. Remember that its not worth it to lose attention from the road just to check that new text. You can set your phone to reply automatically while driving so that the person texting you knows you’re not ignoring them when you don’t respond. Please take advantage of this and keep your attention away from your phone and on the road.
3. Drive defensively.
Please be careful driving during the holiday season. We take a lot of risk when we get behind the wheel of a car. Crashes are always tragic, but more so during the holidays. Wishing you a safe and healthy holiday season. Merry Christmas!