Stay Alert And Stay Safe On Your Family Vacation
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
Florida is a popular state for tourists and vacationers throughout the summer. The sunny beaches, warm climate, lively nightlife, and massive amusement parks draw in visitors from across the United States and beyond. Many of these visitors drive down from their home states, but because Florida is full of swamps, lakes, and wetlands they only have so many highways they can drive down. Florida is already a densely populated state, so when summer comes the highways can become dangerously congested.That’s why it’s so important to stay alert and avoid driving while distracted, drowsy, or under the influence. Whether you come to the state in a family SUV or you rent a fast coupe after flying in, the highways and streets of Florida are dangerous enough without adding to your risk levels. Keep these important pointers in mind before you climb behind the wheel.
Delegate Your Kid Wrangling
Young children can be a real handful on a long road trip, especially if you don’t have enough distractions on hand to keep them busy. They also don’t always realize that you need to concentrate on the road, but that’s something you should always keep in mind. If you want to drive safe with kids in the car, have your spouse, an older sibling, or some other adult take care of the kids so you can keep your eyes on your surroundings. Trying to deal with kids and drive at the same time can put your whole family at risk.
Use Voice Commands
In general, you should avoid conversations when you’re in traffic. Even if you’re just talking to the person next to you, a conversation can distract you from the road, and this distraction becomes worse when you’re holding a cellphone or reading a text message. However, if you can’t avoid taking calls on the road, you can at least minimize your risk by using the voice commands built into modern phones and vehicles.
Take Time To Stretch And Rest
Don’t be in too much of a hurry when you’re on a road trip. Your destination may be important, but it’s just as important that you reach it safely. If you’re starting to doze off when you’re driving or if you have trouble concentrating on the road, go ahead and stop off wherever you are to stretch your legs, get something to eat, and take a nap. Energy drinks and coffee can help you concentrate, but they can only help so much.
Have A Designated Driver
The Florida nightlife can keep you up until the dawn, but eventually the time comes to go to bed and get some rest. When that time comes, make sure someone sober can drive you there. This could be a designated driver in your group, it could be a taxi service, or it could be one of the ridesharing companies that operate throughout the state. Remember, there are plenty of ways to get around that don’t involve risking your life by driving under the influence.
Unfortunately, accidents can still happen even if you’re paying attention to the road. If you get in an auto accident in southwest Florida, consider contacting the All Injuries Law Firm. Our firm has years of experience dealing with the aftermath of accidents and with insurance companies that pay out as little as they can, and we can help you get the compensation you deserve.