Can you believe it’s already Thanksgiving? Boulevard Auto Repair wishes you and yours a happy Thanksgiving. We hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. If you plan to travel over the long weekend, make sure to be extra careful on the road. There will be many impatient and drunk drivers out there, and Thanksgiving weekend is one of the weekends in the year that has the most automobile accidents. Here are five tips to help you prevent an auto accident.
Be Flexible
If you can, be flexible with your plans. Try to travel on off days to avoid extreme traffic. People tend to lose their cool in traffic jams and drive recklessly. You can expect the most cars on the road Wednesday evening and Sunday. If you can travel on different days, do so.
Also, be flexible with your route. Plan alternate routes in case your primary route has problems. These problems might include inclement weather, road construction, or automobile accidents that shut the highways down.
Take Breaks
Plan plenty of stops along your trip to make sure that everyone can get out of the car and stretch their legs. It’s important to take breaks throughout the day to remain refreshed behind the wheel. Tired driving is as bad as drunk driving. When you are tired, you lose your reflexes and cannot respond to emergency situations as fast as you normally would.
Be Patient
It’s also important that you remain patient behind the wheel no matter what. Even if you travel during off-hours, you are still likely to get stuck in some traffic. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Leave earlier than you need to give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination. Take into account all of the potential delays so that you give yourself ample time without having to speed or stress.
Use a DD
This cannot be stressed enough: Use a designated driver if you are going to drink. There are a ton of drunk-driving incidents that happen over Thanksgiving weekend. Do not become part of that statistic. Rather, do not consume alcohol or, if you plan to, designate a sober driver to get everyone home.
Maintain Your Car
Finally, do not hit the road without an automobile inspection and service. This ensures that your vehicle is safe and reliable throughout the Thanksgiving weekend no matter how much you drive it.
Boulevard Auto Repair in Sherman Oaks, CA, can help with the ladder and we can also help if you do get into an accident. We are a full-service auto shop and collision center. Call us today for an appointment.
