Staying Safe While Traveling

 Posted on June 26, 2014 in Personal Injury

Summer means vacations for many families across the nation, and Illinois certainly is no exception. Some may plan trips to visit friends or family while others head to a beach or a lake. No matter the destination, summer months will certainly be seeing an increase of traffic on the roadways. Any road travel comes with the risk of an accident, but that risk is likely to increase with more vehicles on the road. While drivers cannot always control other's actions, they can take steps to ensure their careful attention to the road while driving.

Safety Tips

No matter how near or far drivers travel this summer, it is important to follow proper safety precautions while operating a vehicle in order to avoid a possible accident. Some safety tips for drivers to keep in mind this summer include the following:

1. Maintain the safety of your vehicle. This includes everything from having your vehicle properly inspected and checked before heading out on the road, to packing the car in a responsible way to avoid blind spots and decreased visibility.
2. Use your seatbelt. Adults and older children should always employ the use of seat belts, and parents of younger children should have them properly fastened in car seats or booster seats. While using a seat belt may not work to avoid an accident, it does serve a purpose in case a crash does occur. Buckling up offers the best protection for passengers so that, in the event of an accident, injuries are hopefully curtailed and limited.
3. Do not drive while fatigued. Stay focused while driving and avoid doing so when tired. Schedule frequent breaks throughout your trip to stay alert behind the wheel.
4. Share the road. Be aware of other roadway users such as cyclists, motorcycles, and pedestrians. Cars must share the road, and anticipating that there will be others on the roadway will help you detect and avoid them.
5. Avoid hot cars. During the summer months cars can easily reach stifling temperatures with the sun beating down. Heat stroke is a real possibility in this scenario. Pay extra attention to avoid leaving a child or pet alone in a hot vehicle for any amount of time.
6. Do not engage in bad driver behavior. This includes drinking and driving and distracted driving. While this tip applies not only for summer months but throughout the year, there is a higher number of deaths that occur as the result of drinking and driving crashes during the summer. Perhaps this is due to the fact that many summer holidays involve outdoor parties where guests imbibe alcohol. It is wise to avoid drinking too much at such gatherings, and to never drive after drinking alcohol.

Accident Injury Attorneys

A car accident can happen at any time. If you or someone you know was injured as the result of someone else's negligence in a crash, the accident and injury attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices can help you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. We have offices located in Lombard, Naperville, and Bloomingdale.