At this time of year, many new and young drivers in Hollywood and across Southern Florida are looking forward to a summer of freedom and driving. If you have a newly-licensed motorist in your family, they may be eager to hit the open road and even go on a road trip.
Here are some ways to ensure your teen is safe on the roads if they’re interested in going on a road trip before fall:
Miami and Southern Florida see tens of millions of visitors each year. Tourists arrive year-round but summer can be especially busy for tourism. Many visitors have summer vacation time or want to be able to enjoy or want to take part in the many special activities and festivals taking place in the area.
Unfortunately, a busy tourist season can mean a risk of accidents on Miami and area streets. While most tourists are safe and carefully drivers, they may not be familiar with local streets or local driving rules. They may also become lost. All these risk factors can lead to car accidents in Miami and other cities.
Many parents don’t want to consider that their children drink alcohol, but statistics show the majority of high school graduates will have tried alcohol at least once and will have been intoxicated at least once – well before their 21st birthday.
No matter what your personal opinions about underage drinking, the reality is that during the holiday season underage drinking may be an especially considerable problem. Teenagers may be spending time with friends or heading to holiday events where alcohol will be served. It can be difficult to think about this or talk about it with your family, but it’s an important topic. Underage drinking is a danger to your family for two main reasons:
If you have teenagers in your home, you need to have a conversation about safe holiday driving. If your teens don’t drive yet, you may think that they are safe. However, they may still be getting dropped off by an older friend, and the risk of drunk driving accidents is still there.
If you have new drivers in your home, your teenagers need to understand the dangers of holiday driving. You may also need to set limits and rules to ensure they drive safely.
With holiday shopping in full swing, you need to be aware that if you’re taking your car to Hollywood and South Florida retail areas, you need to use added caution. According to insurers, up to a quarter of car accidents during the holiday season are parking lot accidents.
Although parking lot accidents tend to be lower speed accidents and therefore less likely than trucking collisions to lead to permanent injuries and fatalities, they can still be serious. An unexpected parking lot accident or rear end accident in a Hollywood shopping area can lead to whiplash, head trauma, and other serious injuries. In addition, if you’re struck by a car as you’re walking to or from a store, your injuries can be life-threatening. As a pedestrian, you are simply more at risk for serious, even fatal injuries.
Many people in Hollywood and across southern Florida are planning holiday parties or are getting invitations for work parties, holiday festivities, family get-togethers, and other events. No matter what kind of invitations you are writing or receiving, there’s one thing that is a part of any great celebration: a failsafe plan for getting home safely.
Many parties, dinners, and events at this time of year include alcohol. While holiday parties can create lifelong memories, they can also increase the risk of drunk driving accidents in Hollywood and across southern Florida. If you’ll be attending any holiday events this year, make sure that you RSVP but also:
Picking the perfect holiday tree for your home is only part of the process. Once you find the perfect tree in a lot, you need to get it home safely. Unfortunately, your car was not designed to carry home trees—and a large item on your roof can pose its own hazards.
Nothing ruins holiday cheer like a car accident, and no one deserves to be injured just because they were trying to make their home more festive for the season. Here are some ways you can get your tree home safely this year:
Black Friday sales are almost here, and many Florida shoppers are already planning to take advantage of the bargains. The official start of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday sales are a big tradition at many retailers. Each year, however, they also cause injuries to store staff, customers, drivers, and pedestrians as everyone congregates on shopping areas for the deals. Here’s how you can avoid being in a car or pedestrian accident during one of the biggest retail events of the year:
Consider where you want to go, what routes you’ll drive, and what order you want to visit stores. Determine when you’ll need to leave home. Plan your route so you’re not driving during very heavy traffic (when your chances of traffic jams, car accidents, and general frustration are greater). Don’t assume you can get to all sales; pick one or two retail experiences you want to have and aim for those.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time to get serious about safe driving. With more people on the roads heading to friends and family and more parties in full swing in Hollywood and South Florida, it’s important to stay safe and to drive safely.
Many Florida and Hollywood residents will be traveling in the next week to see family and friends for Thanksgiving. If you’re one of them, make sure you take these steps to stay safe:
Driving around lost can mean frustrations, which can lead to driving mistakes. Encountering bad traffic can also lead to aggressive driving or just upset and avoidable driving errors. Take a look at traffic conditions, roadwork, weather, and any other possible obstructions on your route. Print out alternative routes in case you need them and print out a map or program your route into your GPS so you can get to your destination safely.
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