Driving Safely towards Labor Day Weekend

Sept. 3, 2015 - PRLog -- With long weekends comes a lot of traffic and congestion on the highway. Labor Day weekend is one last hoorah for summer, so that means barbecues and beach trips! This upcoming Labor Day is predicted to have 35 million travelers on the road. To ensure your safety this Labor Day Weekend, here are a few driving safety tips to avoid an accident.

1. Scan your horizon at all times

It is so important to be aware of your surroundings on the highway, especially when in traffic.  Traffic has a tendency to pick up the pace and then rapidly stop, so it is essential for your safety to be conscious of what is around you.  Be sure to look in your mirrors frequently so that if you see a problem you have more reaction time.

2. No Texting

No matter what weekend, texting can dramatically increase your chances of getting into an accident. Texting is a major distraction on the road and prevents you from scanning your horizon and being aware.  Texting while driving is also against the law in 46 states. Placing your phone in a spot that is unreachable will decrease your urge to glance at your phone will driving.

3. Reduce nighttime driving

During busy travel weekends, people try to avoid traffic and hit the road at later hours.  Although you will reduce your traffic chances, you may increase your accident chances.  After a weekend of cook outs and the last of the summer sun, you may be feeling fatigue and drowsy.  With glare from oncoming headlights shining and sometimes a lack of street lights, a lot of people have trouble driving on the highway during the nighttime.  Pick a travel timeframe that will allow for a comfortable drive to all your destinations.

4. Stay away from the fast lane

The middle and right lane on the highway are better for avoiding accidents.  The fast lane, or passing lane, creates a trap for crashes and does not provide you with an ‘escape route'. While driving in the middle lane, you allow yourself an option to change lanes and avoid any problems. Most highway accidents occur in the fast lane, so avoid a problem and choose a different lane to cruise to your weekend getaway.

If a problem does occur, you should know what information you need to gather in the event of a claim. It is vital to get complete information from the other car involved in the accident as well as contact information.  Receiving that information directly after the crash, allows the insurance company to smoothly complete the claim process.  Pictures of the accident also help the process after the crash. If the other party involved is not cooperating with your insurance company, documented pictures of the accident will help dramatically.  Completing these two tasks after an accident will allow the insurance company to take the burden of the claim process off your shoulders.

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