Beating Florida Thanksgiving Traffic And Accidents - Have A Plan
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It's that time of year again when the Florida Thanksgiving Holiday seems to bring as much joy as it does stress for most of us and getting behind the wheel of a car can usually take that stress to the next level. So, although this blog article does not have the answers on how to deal with recipes gone wrong, relatives gone bad, and how to keep your sanity in check during the holiday, it does address some key Thanksgiving travel tips that may help reduce your driving stress.
First things first, Thanksgiving is North America's busiest travel holiday, and Florida is one of the busiest Thanksgiving travel states. So whether you're driving, flying, travelling by train, or just standing in line to pay for that great big turkey, the chances of you wanting to give someone a few words of wisdom are on the rise. But all that won't matter to you, because you'll have your Thanksgiving plan in place...right!?!
Ok, you've heard it a million times before, but planning your trip can not only save you time but can assist in reducing the driving stress. For example, if your spouse tells you it will take two hours to get to your destination, and you think you can make it in an hour in a half, settle on three hours. During the holiday season you should give yourself at least an hour extra to get where you plan to go. This extra hour isn't just because of traffic, but for anything else you may have forgot; like the bottle of wine you were going to bring the host and forgot as you are halfway to your destination and there is nothing but cow fields around you!
Remember during the holidays what can go wrong will go wrong...plain and simple. It's happened to all of us; the flat tire, the lost diaper bag, you get the picture. This is just another result of being unorganized and in a hurry without an action plan in place.
A Mapquest poll indcated that most people who travel by car for Thanksgiving have more than an hour's drive ahead of them with the busiest days being Wednesday and Thursday. If you can do it, leave Tuesday for your holiday. This will make for a much more relaxing drive. Mapquest suggests that Friday is the best day to return home because a majority of the people driving either leave Thursday night or stay for the long weekend. The time of travel when most cars are on the road is between 9am and 12noon. That being said, either prepare to leave very early in the morning or a little later in the afternoon.
Another tip is to plan an alternate route, consider this to be your "plan B" of your action plan. This backup plan can become super valuable during these times. A GPS is only as good as the route you plug in, have a back up plan.
Listen to the radio; constantly keep updated with the latest traffic and weather reports so you're in the "know" ahead of time.
Don't procrastinate. Starting now, put a check list together of the things you need to get completed before you leave for your trip. You'll be surprised how all those little errands add up and how time consuming they can be especially around this time of year. By not rushing around you are not only reducing your stress level, but avoiding a possible accident.
Unfortunately, accidents can and do happen. So, if an accident does occur, here's what you do; stop at the scene, call 911 and assist the injuried if you are trained in first aid. You are required to reasonably help the injuried. Provide all required information; your name, address, vehicle registration, and insurance information to the authorities so they can prepare a driver exchange sheet or short form accident report. Do not admit fault and keep your comments to a minimum. During an accident you'll go through a series of emotions; anger, confusion, guilt, and fear just to name a few. Think before you speak. Get any witness information you can if possible. Try to take notes while the accident is still fresh in your mind. Get to a doctor as soon as possible to be examined, even if you think you are not badly injuried. Finally, contact your law firm and personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Your attorney can give you advice and help you through the tough process of a PIP claim whether you are at fault or not.
