Road Trip USA – How To Avoid Auto Accidents While Travelling
Summertime is the best time of year to take a long road trip with family. Whether you’re driving down to the beach or down the south-west of Ireland, road trips create great memories for everyone spending time together in the car.
While travelling on a road trip, drivers should be careful and make the safety of everyone in the vehicle a top priority. Especially when you are travelling across multiple states, it’s important to avoid accidents to ensure a safe and fun experience. In this post, I’ll cover useful tips on how to avoid car/auto accidents while travelling.
Road Trip USA Tip #1 – Familiarise Yourself With Local Road Rules
Before travelling to a destination, you should familiarise yourself with the rules of the road in that area. Sometimes, these minor differences in road rules or traffic laws could cause major accidents. If you are on the road and travelling for vacation, take the time to learn the rules.
For example, certain counties allow making a left or right on red. If you are not prepared for this, it could cause an accident and ruin your vacation. By learning about the local road rules, you will be able to expect anything out of the ordinary from the rules where you locally drive.
Road Trip USA Tip #2 – Get Your Vehicle Checked Out Before Travelling
In addition to learning local traffic laws, have your vehicle checked out before going on a road trip. You can check multiple points like the oil level, transmission fluid and brakes. Also, check your tire pressure and threads to make sure your tires are in good condition.
If you are going to take a longer road trip, it’s essential that your car tires do not have any signs of damage or nails. You can get all these car maintenance checks done at a local garage. Or, you can do them yourselves. In either case, preparing your car for a road trip can avoid blowouts or breakdowns that could cause an accident.
Road Trip USA Tip #3 – Wait Out Drivers Running Red Lights
While on vacation, wait an extra three seconds before advancing into an intersection. This will lower the risk of getting hit by drivers who run red lights. Since you are taking a road trip, take the extra precaution to have a safe journey.
According to Sarah Noll, an auto accident attorney in Springfield IL, “drivers commit negligence, such as running a stop sign or red light.” Rather than becoming a victim of this negligence on while on a road trip, waiting an extra three seconds could avoid a collision altogether.
Road Trip USA Tip #4 – Drive Most Of Your Miles During The Day
On the road trip, plan your driving times throughout the day. Instead of trying to stay away from traffic and driving at night, plan your breaks during peak traffic times. Even if you are travelling stateside within the country, the driving conditions at night are more hazardous.
Depending on the geographic area where you are driving through, there could be fog, animals or road obstacles that reduce visibility. Any of these night driving factors could contribute to an accident. You can easily reduce these risks doing most of your road trip driving during the day.
Road Trip USA Tip #5 – Review Your Route Between Breaks
On pit stops or long breaks, review the route that you are about to drive. While GPS systems make it easy to follow one turn at a time. You could end up feeling lost if you are not familiar with the route. By learning the route ahead of time, you can analyze important exits, tough merges, quick turns or lengthy detours.
You can also check the route for things you might need, like where you can stop to eat, refuel the car, or recharge an electric vehicle. This will help you feel prepared at the wheel and minimize any confusion. Of course, when you limit the distractions while driving, you will have much higher chance of having a safe road trip.
Road Trip USA Tip #6 – What To Do If You Have An Accident
Nobody wants to think about what could go wrong when planning a long-awaited trip or holiday, but accidents happen. If you have a crash, it’s crucial to prioritise your health. Get checked out and ensure you get treatment for injuries. It’s also important to report the incident and check your insurance policy.
If you were injured as a result of negligence on behalf of another driver, you might want to think about contacting a car accident lawyer. It’s wise to take photographs of the vehicles and the crash scene, as they may be used as evidence to support your case if you do have a claim. Try to stay calm and make sure you have people around you to advise and support you. If you’re travelling alone and you’ve lost possessions, or you need assistance, you can seek advice from police departments and international consulates.
If you are planning on taking a road trip this summer, there are many actions you can take to avoid an accident along the way. Start by familiarising yourself with the rules of the road in the different areas where you will be driving. Before departing, get your car properly serviced to ensure that it is safe to travel for everyone in the vehicle.
When driving, pay attention at intersections and wait an additional three seconds before proceeding. If possible, plan most of your driving throughout the day. More so, keep a fresh idea of the route in mind to minimise distractions whilst driving. Following these tips – you can avoid accidents while on a summer road trip with friends or family.
Written by Tim Baker. Tim is an avid traveller, blogger and freelance writer. Tim contributes to a number of travel and lifestyle blogs, sharing his travel and life experiences.
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