Driving Home for Christmas and Holidays: Part 2 – On the Road

It’s Holiday time! Your last shift at work doesn’t seem so bad anymore – you’re flying through the piles of paperwork as you are waiting to get home to your loved ones. As we mentioned in Driving Home for Christmas and Holidays: Part 1 – Plan Ahead, the drive home is undoubtedly an exciting time filled with many strong emotions, and unfortunately it is also a time of rushing. And with rushing come recklessness, impulsiveness and carelessness, which can lead to car accidents.

The holiday season is one of the most accident intense seasons on the road – on average over the 3-day Christmas celebration an unbelievable 343 people die in traffic accidents. But do not let this to hinder your Holiday spirit just yet, if you are involved in an accident on the road get in touch with our specialist car accident doctor in Spring Hill who will be there for you to evaluate your injuries. Our doctors state the most common auto injuries include whiplash, headaches and fractured bones, but there are many more potential non-life threatening injuries, which you can learn about in our Spring Hill auto-injury clinic.

There are multiple reasons why so many accidents happen and some are beyond your control, like other drivers being under influence. However, there are many things that you can do, whilst on the road, to reduce your chances of getting into an accident. Below we list 5 crucial things that you can do on the road to make your drive home safer.

1. Be focused

Driving requires your full undivided attention in order to get you to your destination ALIVE! Distractions include your mobile phone – calls, texts or even just receiving and reacting to notifications, checking your appearance, reaching for something or changing the song on your radio. All of these activities can be easily avoided by planning ahead. Arrange calls to happen before or after your drive, put your phone out of your sight and make sure everything you may need is within your reach. And if you forget to do that, just make a quick stop when needed.

2. Be well rested

This cannot be stressed enough, being rested makes us more aware of our surroundings, better decision makers and increases our responsiveness, so already making you a safer driver. We know that getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep might not always be possible, especially before a long break from work, so when on the road do not shy away from taking multiple breaks to recharge. The AAA released a statistic stating that 1 in 5 fatal crashes involve drowsy drivers. So if taking breaks is not possible for you, make sure to take a co-driver or a companion to keep you alert and awake with music or a conversation.

3. Assume other drivers WILL make mistakes

In hindsight not only think about your own driving performance, but also do not rely on the expectations you have about other drivers. Other drivers might be distracted, under influence, or just naturally careless. Our car accident doctor in Spring Hill stresses that many drivers on public roads are not prudent and cautious enough causing accidents to happen. Thus, always assume that the other drivers will not follow road laws or behave the way you would. This way you are automatically giving yourself an escape route should the other drivers act dangerously.

4. Stick to the law requirements

This should come without saying, but it is hugely important to emphasise how important sticking to speed limits, fastening your seat belts, using your lights and applying the 3-second rule of distance is to ensuring your own and others’ safety! Our auto-injury clinic in Spring Hill stresses that following the laws and behaving defensively gives you better control over your vehicle, more time to react to danger and makes you more aware of your surroundings. Also, these actions will make you less likely to experience life-threatening injuries if an accident does occur.

5. Say no to holiday drinks at work!

In your past experiences that one gingerbread espresso Martini would not be enough to affect you, but what you are not considering now is how tired you truly might be or how well your organism has taken in your lunch. So this one cocktail might hit you a little bit more than you may think.

In 2017 the CDC released an article stating that in the US alone 29 people die EVERY DAY in motor vehicle accidents involving alcohol-impaired drivers. And combining that with the general increased number of accidents over the holiday season makes up a terrifying statistic.

So keep that in mind before having a drink. And if you can’t help saying “yes” at least have plenty of hearty food with it and give your body plenty of time process the alcohol.

It is still a possibility that an accident will occur – not necessarily a major one. So the car accident doctor in Spring Hill urges you to not ignore even a minor accident because many symptoms of injuries do not show immediately, but if left untreated can lead to further complications.

Applying these 5 crucial behaviors will not make you 100% resistant to dangers on the road or accidents, but it will certainly make you more aware of potentially dangerous situations and hence help you avoid them better.

Remember, being alert and a sensible driver puts you in a stronger position to deal with other people’s poor driving habits.

Happy Holidays!

Santa Claus with the Push scooter delivery the gifts

The material contained on this site is for informational purposes only and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PROVIDING OF MEDICAL ADVICE, and is not intended to be a substitute for independent professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.