With the holidays right around the corner, many people have started making their travel plans, rushing home to be with family and friends. The truth is, more people travel during the holidays than any other time of year. This includes college students driving home from school to spend the holiday season with their parents.
While many of these students are rushing home to see mom and dad, the night before Thanksgiving has become a tradition “night out” to meet up with old friends who are home as well. While we’re all for tradition, we can’t ignore that this night is also notorious for an increase in drunk driving accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the night before Thanksgiving has surpassed New Year’s Eve in the number of drunk driving accidents that occur. Keeping this in mind, we wanted to offer our neighbors and valued clients a few tips for traveling on Thanksgiving eve.
1. Leave Early
Make sure you leave early in order to get to your destination before dark. This will give you plenty of time to slow down, drive safely, and get off the roads before the peak hours of DUI occurrence.
2. Think Ahead
Develop a plan of action for getting home safely when going out with friends. If you are the designated driver, you should feel 100% sure that you can get everyone home safely before getting behind the wheel.
3. Get a Cab
If you are spending the night out on the town, make sure to hire a cab for the evening. Never get into a car with anyone that has been drinking. Many cabs and public transportation will have discounted services in order to encourage people to use mass transit rather than driving under the influence.
4. Drive defensively
Slow down and stay off of busy roads if possible.
5. Call on Drunk Drivers
If you should spot a drunk driver while out on the roads, be sure to call and report it as quickly as possible. You could save a significant number of lives by doing so.
6. Put Aside Distractions
Never engage in distracted driving by talking on your cellphone, texting or talking with friends. Although you may be excited to get together with friends and family that you haven’t seen in a while, it is important to keep everyone safe by focusing on driving safely.
7. Be Alert for DUI Checkpoints
Keep in mind that there may be DUI checkpoints and increased patrol on the streets looking to prevent any driving fatalities.
8. Carry Your License, Registration & Proof of Insurance
Be sure to keep the proper credentials in your car if you happen to be traveling on Thanksgiving eve. You never know when you are going to get stopped at a checkpoint. It is essential to have your driver’s license, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration readily available.
If you have the misfortune of becoming involved in a car accident, you can take your damaged vehicle to a collision repair shop. Whether you or the other party was at fault, an experienced repair shop can get your car to look like new once again.
We hope you celebrate to the fullest with your friends and family this season! Just make sure that you’re thinking clearly before getting behind the wheel. One bad accident can change the entire season and turn joy into regret.
Happy Thanksgiving from our family at Badell’s Collision to yours!
