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Are you taking a road trip for Labor Day? It is exciting to get away for a long weekend with your family or your significant other. Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer; therefore, many people use this long weekend to take a final road trip. Traffic can be awful on a normal day — during a holiday weekend, traffic can be even worse. To protect yourself and your family this Labor Day weekend, continue reading below for road trip safety tips from our car accident lawyer.
Do You Need A California Car Accident Lawyer?
We sincerely wish you a happy and safe Labor Day weekend; however, if you are injured in a car crash, you need an experienced Carlsbad car accident lawyer on your side who can protect your legal rights. Gordon R. Levinson of The Levinson Law Group has represented some of the largest insurance companies in the country. He understands how insurance companies work to limit settlements in car accidents. Don’t let an insurance company convince you that you do not need a car accident lawyer to protect your right to a fair and full settlement.
Call The Levinson Law Group at (760) 642-5475 today for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer. We accept cases on a contingent fee. That means that if there is no recovery in your case you pay no fee. And in most cases, we even advance the costs.
Road Trip Safety Tips That Will Keep You Safe This Holiday Weekend
Get a Tune-Up
Before leaving on any road trip, schedule a vehicle inspection. Staying safe on the road begins with a well-maintained vehicle. Have the oil changed; check the tread on tires; check your brakes; replace worn windshield wipers; replace burnt out light bulbs; and, check belts and hoses. Spending a little money to have a qualified mechanic check your vehicle before your road trip can save you time and money as well as reducing frustration because of a break-down.
Pack a Disaster Supplies Kit
You never know what could happen while you are on a road trip. It is always best to be prepared for any emergency. In addition to packing water and protein snacks, you need a disaster supplies kit in your vehicle. The American Red Cross provides an excellent checklist for packing a disaster supplies kit for your next road trip.
Child Safety Seats
Protecting your children while in a vehicle begins with using the proper child safety seats. For information about California’s child safety seat laws, visit the California Highway Patrol’s website. Unfortunately, many car seats are not installed properly. Before your next road trip, have a certified technician inspect your child’s safety seat to ensure it is installed properly. Several organizations offer free child safety seat inspections.
Always Wear Seat Belts
Older children and adults should always wear seat belts. In addition to being required by California traffic codes, wearing seat belts reduces the risk of serious injuries and fatalities in car crashes. Each person in your vehicle, regardless of age, should be restrained properly with a safety seat or seat belt.
Slow Down
It may be tempting to drive as fast as possible to get to your vacation destination sooner; however, exceeding the speed limit is against the law and it puts you and your family at risk. If you do not cause an accident because you are speeding, you still increase your risk of being in an accident because you reduce the amount of time you have to stop or take other evasive action to avoid a collision. The few minutes you may shave from your travel time by exceeding the speed limit is not worth the increased risk of a car crash.
Take Frequent Breaks
This is especially important on long car trips. Trying to drive “straight through” can increase your risk for an accident due to drowsy and fatigued driving. In addition to taking frequent breaks, share driving responsibilities on long road trips with other adults.
Map It Before You Leave
Before you leave home, map your route by programming your GPS. Trying to program your GPS while driving is never safe. If you do need help navigating while driving, assign this task to a passenger to avoid dangerous distractions.