“Friendsgiving” is when you celebrate Thanksgiving with your friends instead of your family. Some people do both, celebrating with family and friends on different days. That can mean spending more time on the road traveling to more than one celebration.
The Thanksgiving holiday travel period is typically from Wednesday to Sunday. According to the National Safety Council, around 500 traffic fatalities occur during Thanksgiving week. Practicing defensive driving can help keep you safe.
Here are four defensive driving tips to make your Friendsgiving journey safe and accident-free.
1. Plan Your Trip
Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. You can reduce risk on the road with some planning.
Check the weather forecasts and traffic updates ahead of time. This can help you plan your travel route and avoid heavily congested roads, traffic incidents, and road closures that can cause delays.
Try to avoid traveling during peak traffic times and leave home earlier to allow for delays or unexpected traffic problems.
2. Anticipate Road Conditions
In November, winter is starting to roll in, which can cause adverse road conditions.
If heavy rain, wind, or snow conditions are present, it’s important to be extra vigilant while driving. Weather conditions can change while en route to your destination. Rain can turn to sleet, and sudden wind gusts can fling debris into the road.
Wet roads also increase your stopping distance. So drive slowly, increase your following distance, and stay alert. Learning defensive driving techniques can help you anticipate and react faster to sudden changes in road conditions.
3. Minimize Distractions
The holidays come with extra distractions while driving. These might include lively passengers, the side dish you’re taking to dinner sliding around on the floor, and an influx of holiday texts or calls.
Data from Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) shows that distracted driving increases by 9.2% on Thanksgiving Day. In the two weeks before and after Thanksgiving, drivers spend an average of 2 minutes and 2 seconds on their phones while driving. On Thanksgiving Day, this time increases to 2 minutes and 13 seconds.
CMT’s research reveals that for every 10% rise in distracted driving, the crash rate increases by 1.4%. They estimate that between 2020 and 2023, the increase in distracted driving over Thanksgiving resulted in approximately 1,800 car crashes.
Minimize driving distractions by setting up navigation or music before you start driving, asking a passenger to respond to calls and texts, and placing food or drinks in a secure container.
4. Manage Unexpected Situations
The surge in traffic over Thanksgiving can lead to stressed drivers engaging in bad driving behavior. Speeding, sudden stops, and switching lanes without signaling can make the roads more hazardous.
When unexpected traffic incidents occur, here’s how to handle them:
Stay calm, especially if another driver is agitated. This can prevent a situation from escalating to the level of road rage.
Take a deep breath before responding to a situation. When a traffic incident occurs, tempers can quickly flare. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming us down and helping us to react more rationally to stressful situations.
Use defensive driving strategies, such as checking all mirrors and blind spots before changing lanes and slowing down well ahead of a stop.
If it is safe, pull over on the side of the road, and put your hazard lights on. You can then call roadside assistance if you have a mechanical problem or the relevant authorities if you’ve been involved in an accident.
The Benefits of Defensive Driving
The objective of defensive driving is to prevent car accidents by improving drivers’ ability to:
Scan the surroundings to spot potential hazards.
Practice safe driving principles such as reducing speed when road conditions are poor and maintaining a safe following distance from the car in front.
Avoid distractions.
React to unexpected events on the road.
Safely respond to dangerous incidents such as a tire blowout, hydroplaning, or brake failure.
Learning these skills can make your Friendsgiving journey a safer and more pleasant one.
Stay Safe on the Roads This Friendsgiving
Road safety during Friendsgiving is a shared responsibility among all road users. However, life can be unpredictable. That’s why equipping yourself with defensive driving techniques is so important. It can provide you with essential skills to anticipate and respond to unexpected situations in a more controlled and safer manner.
Updated 11/13/2024
