{"id":30360,"date":"2016-06-17T18:31:07","date_gmt":"2016-06-17T18:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/?p=30880"},"modified":"2019-02-13T17:04:21","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T17:04:21","slug":"in-honor-of-juneteenth-an-i-drive-safely-holiday-driving-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/i-drive-safely-juneteenth-summer-holiday-driving-guide","title":{"rendered":"In Honor of Juneteenth: An I Drive Safely Holiday Driving Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-32626 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/GettyImages-614054784.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"724\" height=\"483\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Summer is upon us\u2014driving season. Between family vacations, summer jobs, ideal weather, and lazy Sunday drives, we tend to do a lot more driving.<\/p>\n<p>This is also the season that brings us several holidays, starting with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.juneteenth.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Juneteenth<\/a>, and including Father\u2019s Day, Summer Solstice, Independence Day, Labor Day\u2026 heck, you might even celebrate National Marshmallow Toasting Day (August 30). With that in mind, we wanted to provide some driving tips to help you make the most of every celebration.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Good Weather Means More People<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This is the season that kids and educators have (mostly) free, so chances are you\u2019ll see people outside more than usual. Enjoying the weather, enjoying their free time, and enjoying safety. That last one is where you come in. More people means more likelihood of someone not looking, and more opportunity for disaster.<\/p>\n<p>If you go to the beach, for example, you\u2019ll see people jaywalking a lot more than usual. You\u2019ll also see people jockeying for hard-to-find parking spaces. By keeping a close eye on the amount of pedestrians in the area.<\/p>\n<p>There are two things you can do to help stay safe:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Plan accordingly (check a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opm.gov\/policy-data-oversight\/snow-dismissal-procedures\/federal-holidays\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">listing of holidays<\/a> and local parades, events, etc.) to see if you\u2019re travelling in high-volume areas, or during high-traffic events<\/li>\n<li>Stay alert when behind the wheel. If you go from a long empty road to a downtown area, you have to be aware of pedestrians.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>A Little Care Goes a Long Way<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Chances are you\u2019re driving more frequently in the summer, or for extended periods of time (road trips, family vacations, etc.), so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/driving-resources\/maintenance\/summer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">taking care of your car<\/a> at the beginning of the season is a good habit to get into.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Check the coolant levels:<\/strong> Your car burns a lot hotter than you do, and it can get thirsty. Make sure to check your radiator for the level, concentration, and condition of the coolant.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check your tires:<\/strong> Has it been 5,000 miles? You should get them rotated. Not only will this aid in traction, it will prolong the life of your tires. Use a tire pressure gauge to make sure they are properly inflated, for the same reasons.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check your air conditioner:<\/strong> It\u2019s summer, so you\u2019ll know right away if you need to get this fixed. Nobody wants to spend their summer sweaty and uncomfortable!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check your wipers:<\/strong> The summer heat can dry out and crack the rubber on your wipers, so be sure to keep an eye on them as well. You don\u2019t want to get caught in a summer storm with faulty blades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Plan Ahead for the Most Pain-Free Road Trip<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When you\u2019re finally ready to hit the road and create some sweet summer vacation memories, it\u2019s probably best to study your routes ahead of time. Create an itinerary and research your journey so you have a general idea of where to go, which freeways to take, and the roads in unfamiliar lands. This solves multiple problems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You won\u2019t have to constantly consult your phone\u2019s navigation app for directions \u2013 a dangerous form of distracted driving<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ll be well-prepared for any inclement road conditions, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/driving-safely-under-windy-conditions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">uncharacteristically windy roads<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/safe-driving-road-debris\">highways that aren\u2019t necessarily in optimal shape<\/a><\/li>\n<li>You will have a better sense of general traffic conditions on roads you\u2019ve rarely traveled<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re concerned about traffic, plan on leaving for your destination fairly early or during the late evenings, when roads are typically free of congestion. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/driver-safety-sun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">don\u2019t forget to take sunrises and sunsets into consideration<\/a> \u2013 they can significantly hamper your vision on the road. And if you encounter traffic, remember: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/the-dos-and-do-not-dos-of-car-horn-etiquette\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the car horn is a driver safety feature, not an anger management tool.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Give the Road Your Undivided Attention <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Above all, be sure to give the road the respect and focus it deserves. If you\u2019re not putting 100% of your focus on your travels, you\u2019re not a safe driver. Keep these few tidbits in mind when you\u2019re in the midst of a cross-county trek:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/driving-alone-and-distracted-driving\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Be wary when you\u2019re driving solo<\/a> \u2013 whether you\u2019re truly driving alone, or driving while everyone else is sleeping, this action can be more distracting than you think<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/distracted-driving-awareness-month-wrath\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keep your music at a manageable volume<\/a> \u2013 we all want to feel like we\u2019re in a music video when we\u2019re hitting Route 66, but loud music can slow your reaction time by as much as 20%<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/distracted-driving-awareness-month-gluttony\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eating on-the-go is a big no-no<\/a> \u2013 reaction times on the road can be 44% slower when eating and 22% slower when drinking<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/daylight-savings-drowsy-driving\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Drowsy driving is unacceptable<\/a> \u2013 being awake for 18 consecutive hours can be equivalent to having a BAC of 0.08%<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t drive drunk\/buzzed \u2013 do we really need to justify this with data?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even if you\u2019re a passenger, it doesn\u2019t hurt to be aware of the road. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/blog\/non-driver-safety\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Non-driver driver safety can be immensely helpful to your driver,<\/a> especially in foreign lands and roads less traveled.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Driver Safety Leads to Unforgettable Summer Memories<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>By simply being aware of these tips, you too can have a summer full of incredible celebrations and cherished memories \u2013 and free of any driver safety drama. Whether it\u2019s Juneteenth, Independence Day, or Labor Day, a summertime holiday is best commemorated without any roadside incidents or highway shenanigans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Summer is upon us\u2014driving season. Between family vacations, summer jobs, ideal weather, and lazy Sunday drives, we tend to do a lot more driving. This is also the season that brings us several holidays, starting with Juneteenth, and including Father\u2019s Day, Summer Solstice, Independence Day, Labor Day\u2026 heck, you might even celebrate National Marshmallow Toasting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":32568,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[137,135],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30360"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30360"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34861,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30360\/revisions\/34861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/32568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.idrivesafely.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}