Traveling for the holidays? Here are 6 ways to stay safe this holiday season
Christmas is only a few short weeks away, so if you’re traveling home for the holidays, it’s time to start planning.
Although the dinner menu is likely occupying most of your thoughts, it’s worth taking time to plan your travel so you can have the safest, most stress-free holiday possible.
John Gleason, director of public relations at the Utah Department of Transportation, told the Deseret News that there’s a lot of extra traffic on the roads during the holidays. So it’s important for people to be vigilant in order to protect themselves and others.
“There’s going to be a flood of of people hitting the roads to get to where they’re going for Thanksgiving, spending time with family and friends,” Gleason said. “Throughout Christmas and New Year’s, you could see more traffic out there than normal.”
Here are some ways you can plan ahead and stay safe over the holidays.
1. Avoid traveling on high-traffic days
No one enjoys driving in traffic or waiting in line at airport security, so if you can, avoid peak travel days.
This has several benefits beyond helping you skip the frustration of traffic: for drivers, it can keep you out of car accidents, and for flyers, it can keep you away from crowds bearing the seasonal flu.
The roads and skies tend to be busiest in the week around a major holiday. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that the amount of long-distance trips rises by 54% during the six-day travel period surrounding Thanksgiving, with Thanksgiving Day itself being the busiest. However, Money Geek reported that the day before Thanksgiving tends to have the most car accidents, with a reported average of 114 fatalities per year.
While traveling on the couple days before or after peak travel times won’t guarantee that you’ll avoid a car accident, it will make it less likely. A report from the Department of Transportation found that high traffic congestion can increase the possibility of a car accident occurring, so it’s best to avoid driving on peak travel days if possible.
If you must travel on a busy day, AAA recommends hitting the road before 11 a.m. to avoid major traffic.
2. Perform a maintenance check on your vehicle
If you’re flying home, airplane technicians will do this one for you. But if you’re driving, this is something you’ll have to do yourself. Here are some things you should do to make sure your car is in good shape before you take it on a road trip:
Make sure your headlights, brake lights, blinkers and emergency lights work.
Check your engine oil levels.
Refill the windshield wiper fluid and engine coolant if needed.
Check your tire pressure.
It’s also helpful to keep an emergency kit in your car, with things like a tire jack, tire repair kit, jumper cables and a first-aid kit.
3. Give yourself extra time
You can expect that any form of travel will take longer than usual around the holidays, as security lines at airports will be longer and the roads will be crammed full of cars. Gleason recommended that travelers set aside extra time so they can make it to their destinations safely.
“Plan ahead and don’t try to rush through it,” he said. “You’re not going to make up that much time and you’re going to put your safety at risk.”
It’s also a good idea to be extra alert for other harried travelers who may be in a rush. Drive defensively and keep a look out.
“There’s a lot of people out there that have the same idea and they all want to get to where they’re going safely as well,” Gleason said. “Just to look out for each other and be the type of driver that you want others to be towards you and your family.”
4. Get lots of sleep beforehand
“If you are planning a road trip, make sure that you’re getting plenty of rest and a good night’s sleep the nights leading up to it,” Gleason said. “You want to make sure that you’re not driving drowsy.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fatigue can contribute to car accidents and poor health and can negatively affect cognition. So whether you’re driving or flying, it’s important to be well rested so you can be alert and aware of any potential dangers.
5. Boost your immune system
Traveling can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to getting sick by disrupting up your circadian rhythm and putting you in contact with unfamiliar germs, per Insider and Outside. Here are some tips from the CDC to make your immune system as strong as possible beforehand so you can either avoid getting sick or fight it off faster.
Eat a healthy diet. Food is some of the best preventative medicine out there, and making sure you’re getting the vitamins and nutrients you need will help your body grow strong. Focus on whole foods, like grains, fruits and vegetables, and make sure you’re getting enough protein.
Start exercising. Exercise has been proven to help maintain healthy muscle mass and improve sleep and overall function and health, per the CDC.
Take immunity-boosting vitamins. According to the NIH, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, selenium and zinc are especially important for strengthening immunity and protecting your body from infections.
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6. Watch out for germs
Any time you go to a densely populated area, whether it’s a mall, movie theater or airport, you are more likely to come into contact with someone else’s germs. Additionally, if you’ve traveled to a new location, you might be exposed to unfamiliar germs that your body might find harder to fight off, per Outside.
According to Insider, several areas in airplanes can be breeding grounds for harmful bacteria, so it’s best to avoid touching those surfaces directly. Avoid any high-touch surface while traveling, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer regularly to kill any potential germs. According to Yale Medicine, wearing a face mask in crowded areas can also protect from respiratory illness.
