Mr. Nasty Holiday Traffic vs. You – Holiday Driving Tips

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by martha_chapa95

Ah, Thanksgiving – it’s probably the best time of the year with the possible exception of all the holiday traffic out and about. Distributing great food, great company, and great feelings all around America. Every Hero, however, must have a villain and this one is a frightening foe called Mr. Nasty Holiday Traffic. Parents tremble and teens are instilled with fear when facing this foul beast, but there are some things you can do to help fight Mr. Traffic & his henchmen.

The Preliminaries – These are the basic weapons you’ll need to fight holiday traffic

• Check and adjust your mirrors and tires.
• Buckle Up – Make sure everyone else does too!
• Make sure your good on gas and fluids.
• Have both Emergency & First-aid kits in the car.

With our basic weapons checked and ready, we must take down the Henchmen that try to get in our way in our fight to defeat Mr. Traffic.

Mr. Traffic’s most dangerous henchmen: Terrible Dr. Tryptophan
While stuffing your face, doing activities and moving around, lots of people are driving in an increasingly sluggish/tired state. The National Sleep Foundation’s Report on Drowsy Driving shows that 100,000 crashes, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths are reported every year in direct attribution to falling asleep at the wheel. It’s easy to become heavy-eyed after eating your 3rd plate of Turkey & … stuff, but if you have to hit the road, be sure that you are alert. I like to bug out my eyes and let in more light as it gives me a jolt to keep going. Keep yourself caffeinated and energized. If you are too tired, take a nap – you need to be fully alert and reactive when you are in holiday traffic.

The Furious Demon – Major Rage
Lets face it, we all get angry during the holidays at all of the *insert word of choice here* people who can’t seem to drive anywhere near our own, flawless, execution of maneuvering on the road. Someone’s gotta be wrong if everyone’s pointing fingers at everyone else but not themselves. Sometimes we just need to relax, calm ourselves and try our best not to make rash judgments and poor decisions on the road. Go the speed limit, obey ALL the traffic signs and respect people who have the right of way even if your ready to go-go-go. I promise you, driving like a maniac in hopes to get in-line for that “32 LCD TV for $135 at Target, isn’t worth the hospital bill or morgue arrangements.

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Kevin Coles

The Surprisingly Unsuspected – Mr. Rude
You can be as perfect a driver as any book could tell you and still end up in a hospital as you attempt to navigate the treacherous holiday traffic. The acts of others have to be the biggest consideration while your driving. Unsuspected cut-offs, people driving on the grass/gravel to pass or turn, turning into the wrong lane as a shortcut… these are all things that happen, probably too often, and even more-so around the holidays as people are rushing to get a good deal. If you have to be on the road with the less-considerate, possibly intoxicated people, the best you can do is be prepared to react and check your surroundings, constantly. It’s decisions made in mere seconds that can result in whether you end up in an accident or just a little panicked.

It’s estimated that 44 million Americans will travel for Thanksgiving this year and you can bet that Mr. Nasty Holiday Traffic and his henchmen will try to get in the way of drivers trying to enjoy a Heroic Thanksgiving. There’s no avoiding the Villains winning some battles. But if we can prepare ourselves for with the peaceful, reactive precautions mentioned prior, we might have a shot at winning some wars on Mr. Traffic and helping save the holidays.