According to The Washington Times, more Americans are expected to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend than in recent years. Officials are expecting Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward to be the heaviest traveled. Typically, families get more time off during this holiday and are more likely to visit friends and family members. And the Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Fort Lauderdale is among one of the most popular destinations for Thanksgiving travel.
“For the last few years, travel has been making a comeback at Thanksgiving, yet it’s still not fully recovered to what is used to be,” said AAA spokesman John Townsend.
Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that car trips account for roughly 90 percent of all travel during the holiday in 2012. In that, close to 40 million people drove an average of 588 miles away from home to their holiday destination. Those numbers are expected to increase this year as we recover from the recession and as car travel continues to be the most affordable way to get around for most families.
Before you head out on your Thanksgiving celebration, you might want to sit back and think about a safe trip. By following a few simple safety tips, you can help to ensure that you arrive at your holiday destination in good shape.
Thanksgiving Travel Tips:
-Plan ahead. Choose the best times to travel and the least traveled roadways. Avoid congestion and busy streets will help to decrease your risks for an accident.
-Make sure you have your vehicle checked before hitting the road. Check fluid levels, make sure your windows and headlights are clean and make sure there’s enough air pressure in your tires. In the middle of holiday traffic is no time for a breakdown.
-Become familiar with the road laws of the areas where you’ll be traveling. Not all places have the same laws. Avoid a ticket and a costly fine by learning the laws.
-Make sure that everyone is buckled up. Seat belts are your best defense against injury or death in the event of a collision.
– Map it out. Traffic can choke heavily traveled routes, like the I-95 corridor on the East Coast, adding hours to generally speedy trips. Follow the same best practices for road travel, including avoiding the highways on the Wednesday before turkey day and the following Sunday. And to avoid unnecessary delays, bring along an E-ZPass or change for the tolls, as well as plenty of snacks, and be sure to fill up on gas before you hit the road.
“The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for travel, and though many expect to see peak prices, there are still ways to travel and places to go that will offer great bargains this Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Henrik Kjellberg, president of the Hotwire Group.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Richard Ansara at 954 761-3641 or toll-free at 877-277-3780 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case.
More Blog Entries:
Pedestrian Left Hanging Over New River Drawbridge, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, November 7, 2013
Whiplash: Serious Injuries in Low-Speed Accidents, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, November 1, 2013