Simple Holiday Driving Tips. Avoid The Following

I’ve seen all the year end lists this week. Ten ways to avoid weight gain, to avoid stress, for gift giving, gift getting, ten thing you can do to end your year strong and for making 2013 resolutions.

Here’s our list…what NOT to do while driving during the holidays.

1. Drink before driving. It’s pretty much at the top of any what NOT to do while driving list.

2. Speed or commit other ordinary traffic violations. Yes this is common sense but it’s here as a reminder that there will be increased enforcement during the holidays. Between looking for drunk drivers and attempting to recoup some of the revenue lost to the hurricane, let’s just say that while the weather outside is frightful, the opportunity for officers to issue a large volume of tickets is delightful. If you do get a speeding violation during the holidays, make sure to engage one of our speeding ticket lawyers.

3. Engage in distracted driving. Calling to wish someone happy holidays, excessively using your GPS to figure out how to get to or from that holiday party, last minute holiday party makeup application, eating fruitcake…Whatever you’re tempted to do other than pay attention while driving, just don’t do it.

4. Wear a Santa suit while driving. You’re just asking someone to pull you over, even if it’s only out of curiosity.

5. Dress as Baby New Year while driving. If an officer was potentially curious about Santa, he will definitely be curious about an adult in a diaper.

6. Do not expect normal traffic patterns or driver actions. “Sunday driving” is a real thing. I see it on the LIE every weekend. Where regular commuters understand how to merge at certain spots or otherwise react, people off their regularly beaten path tend to make last minute lane changes, suddenly slow down, etc. If a typical Sunday has drivers out of their comfort zone, holidays can take it to a whole other level. Always expect the unexpected while driving, especially during peak holiday travel times.

7. Do not rely on your regular gas station to be open. Christmas and Christmas Eve, New Years Day and Eve…if you roll up to your ordinary filling spot on fumes, you may have an issue. Just stay gassed up moreso than usual.

8. Do not ignore the hazards of driving in bad weather. This is the time of year for ice and snow on our roads. Statistically speaking, rain will cause a higher volume of accidents than snow and ice because snow and ice generally scare more people into staying home and off the roads when compared to rain. That said, people tend to brave ice and snow when they need/want to get somewhere over the holidays. If you believe you must be on the road and the winter weather is bad, be very very careful.

9. If that new John Travolta / Olivia Newton John duet “I Think You Might Like It” comes on the radio, you must turn it off immediately. Trust me.

10. While driving, please don’t spend too much time pondering these year end lists. Most are blog fillers for an otherwise slow time of year. Think instead about anything and everything good you have happening in your life and try to drive into 2013 with some positive momentum.

Happy Everything.

Scott Feifer