HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING COMMUTE

November 18, 2021

Happy Turkey Day! Our wish for you this Thanksgiving is that you enjoy time with your family and friends and spend less time stuck in traffic trying to get to them. To show how thankful we are for you, we created a guide of helpful tips for your Thanksgiving commute: 

• Be flexible with your travel plans. According to Google Maps Traffic Trends, the worst time to start your Thanksgiving travel is the Wednesday before from 3pm-4pm, so try to leave earlier on Wednesday or wait until Thursday morning. When returning home, the Sunday after Thanksgiving will have more traffic than usual. If possible, plan to leave Saturday or Monday. If you must be on the roads during peak times, be patient, maintain safe driving distances between your car and others around you, and as always…DON’T DRIVE DISTRACTED. 
• Before you hit the road, do a routine maintenance check on your vehicle. Kelley Blue Book has a list of Top 10 Car Care Tips here. 

• If you are driving multiple hours, stop to rest when needed. If you have others with you who have the appropriate car insurance coverage or are covered under your policy, switch drivers to give each other a break. 
• Whether you’re planning to meet up with some friends on Thanksgiving eve or enjoy a glass of wine with your turkey dinner, always have a designated driver. Did you know that from 2015 to 2019, 135 drivers involved in fatal crashes on Thanksgiving eve were alcohol impaired? And during those same years, over the entire holiday weekend nearly 800 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes? Even buzzed driving is drunk driving, so be smart this Thanksgiving weekend. (For more drunk driving statistics, visit the Traffic Safety Marketing site and click on the Fact Sheet.) 

Any holiday brings more drivers to the roads, and with celebrations last year being limited, this year is sure to see an increase. Everyone has somewhere to be quickly and other things on their mind while driving so make sure you’re protected this holiday season. Get state minimum insurance with SafeAuto by calling 1-800-SAFEAUTO or visiting SafeAuto.com today.