Like most people, you are already trying to figure out the quickest and easiest route to your Thanksgiving day destination. AAA projected 38.4 million Americans will be traveling 50 miles or more away from home over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend; a 1.4 percent increase over last year when 37.8 million traveled. The number of travelers by automobile is expected to be 33.2 million in 2009 compared to 32.5 million last year; an increase of 2.1 percent. The number of travelers by air is expected be 2.3 million compared to 2.5 million in 2008; a decline of 6.7 percent. The number of those traveling by “other” means, including, trains, watercraft, buses and multiple-modes of transportation, is expected to be 2.9 million compared to 2.8 million last year, an increase of 1.2 percent, AAA said.
At SmartSecurityPeople.com, we like to provide our readers with a number of security tips but we are also concerned about your safety as well. Given the large number of you that will be traveling this coming week, we are pleased to provide you with the following travel safety tips to help get you to and from your destination safe and sound.
- Plan your route of travel ahead of time: Nothing makes for a rough holiday experience like being 2 hours late for Thanksgiving dinner. Get a map or check MapQuest to plan your route. Also, make sure you plan an alternate route in case you encounter construction or a traffic jam.
- Travel during non-peak time: Instead of traveling the day of Thanksgiving or the day before and after; you should make your trip on Tuesday and plan your return on Saturday or Sunday. Now this tip only really lends itself to those that are making lengthy trips (4 hours or more). Those that are making day trips, really should be ok.
- Get your car checked out: This rule of thumb should apply anytime you are about to make a trip. However, it especially applies at the holiday season. Take your car to your local shop and have them check all your fluids, your windshield wipers, your brakes, and any recent noises that you have been neglecting for a while. If you don’t have the time or money, check the essential things yourself. Some other things that you may want to check is: tire pressure, belts & hoses, tire tread depth.
- Drive Cautiously: I know everyone is in a hurry to get to grandma’s to eat her special oyster dressing that she only makes once a year but let’s make sure you get there safely. A lot of people will be on the road and the more cautious you are the safer you and others will be. So.. drive slow, be aware of those around you, and yes..use your turn signals.
- Pack a Survival Kit: This could be something simple but should be things that you can use in case you get stranded. Some things to consider for your survival kit could be as follows: Blanket, food, water, flashlight, first aid kit, etc…
- Make Stops along the way: This is more applicable for those with kids. If you are taking the little ones with you, you had better plan a couple stops along the way. You can do this when you are doing Step 1 above. Also, if you are making a long drive, don’t try to be a hero and drive 16 hours without taking a break. We all like heroes but we like them better when they are not in the hospital from nodding off behind the wheel.
- Drive Safer, Talk Later: Driving distractions have been around since automobiles were first created, so this is nothing new. However, with the invent of cell phones, there tends to me more accidents related to their use than usual. So, if you have to talk, please pull over and enjoy your discussion. At the very least, consider utilizing a hands-free blue tooth device to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times. Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to text message while driving. “OMG..did u c that axdent”
We hope these safety tips help you during your holiday travel. If you have additional ones that you would like to share with our readers please feel free to do so below.
From all of us at SmartSecurityPeople.com, we wish you and your loved ones a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
