Holiday Travel and Safety Tips
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December 2003
The weeks from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day mark the holiday season for many traditions and cultures in the United States. Each year millions of individuals and families take to road, air, and rail to visit families and friends. Homes are decorated and great feasts prepared. Everyone looks forward to these days. But too often, what should be a time of joy and relaxation becomes a time with too much stress and hassle, or tragically for a few, a time saddened by injury or loss. For example, traffic safety predictions alert us to the potential for injury and death in traffic accidents. Emergency rooms annually treat about 11,000 persons for accidents and fires related to holiday lights and decorations, such as Christmas trees.
With a little preparation and review of travel and safety tips, however, you can lower the holiday hassle factor for your family as well as help prevent accidents. Use this StraightTalk Report as a brief handbook that leads you to selected Internet resources offering sound information on a variety of holiday travel and safety issues.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS
Following these tips can make holiday travel both safer and more enjoyable.
Traveling by Air
Plan ahead
- Follow the weather forecasts for the area where you are and where you are going
- Reconfirm ticket reservations two weeks ahead and a day ahead
- Plan where you'll park at the airport or plan to take public transport
Prepare carefully and with ease of travel in mind
- Ship your presents ahead by mail or other shipper. If you must take them on the plan, leave them unwrapped
- Pack metal objects in your checked or carry on luggage not on your person to speed security checks
- Remember your photo identification
Arrive at the airport early
- Follow the instructions of your airline
Stay alert
- Don't leave your vehicle standing at the curb
- Watch your bags at all times
- Collect your bags promptly upon arrival
Be a smart traveler
- Don't joke about air security matters
- Carry reading matter, a small snack, a bottle of water and a few emergency supplies in case of delay
Read more about tips for air travel
- Air travel information from the US Transportation Security Administration
- Air travel tips from the Federal Aviation Administration
Traveling by Road
Prepare your vehicle for winter driving
These recommendations are from the Car Care Council:
- Check the antifreeze
- Change your oil according to your owner's manual; usually every 3000 miles.
- Check the battery and exhaust systems
- Make sure the heater and defroster are working properly
- Keep the gas tank at least half full
- Check tire tread depth and tire pressure
- Check that the lights work and headlights are properly aimed
- Replace old windshield wipers; usually every 6 months
- Keep an emergency kit in the trunk: ice scraper, windshield de-icer, flashlight, whisk broom, blanket, extra clothes, candle/matches, bottled water, snacks, needed medications, first-aid kit.
For more tips:
Keep an eye on the weather as you plan your route and leaving time
Follow safe winter driving practices and be prepared for emergencies
Here are just a few winter driving tips:
- Always wear seatbelts.
- Remove ice and snow from windows, license plates and lights.
- Clear snow from the hood, roof and trunk.
- Reduce your speed. Drive at a speed that matches the visibility, traffic, and road conditions. Posted speed limits are for dry, clear conditions.
- Watch for slick spots under bridges and on overpasses.
Traveling with Children
At little timely preparation can make traveling with children by air or by car more enjoyable.
If traveling by plane:
- Make sure you have all the supplies you need to take care of your children
- All essential items should be in carry on luggage
- Seat your children away from an aisle
If traveling by car:
- Stop often to stretch and run around
- Make sure each child has books and toys they can easily reach
These resources have more excellent tips.
DECORATING SAFELY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Electric holiday lights, lighted candles, fires in the fireplace, decorated trees, trimmings of ribbon and paper certainly lend a holiday air to homes. But each year substandard or worn lighting, overloaded wiring, unattended candles and fires, flammable materials and failing to follow safety rules result in damage to homes as well as personal injuries and death. Keep your holiday home healthy and happy by taking a moment to review safety precautions.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission lists these general rules for holiday safety:
- Keep matches, lighters, and candles out of the reach of children.
- Avoid smoking near flammable decorations.
- Make an emergency plan to use if a fire breaks out anywhere in the home. Practice the plan!
- Avoid wearing loose flowing clothes—for example, long flowing sleeves—near open flames such as a fireplace, stove, or candles.
- Never burn candles near evergreens. Burning evergreens in fireplaces can also be hazardous.
- Plan for safety. Look for and eliminate potential danger spots near candles, fireplaces, trees, and electrical connections.
For more tips:
HOLIDAY FOOD SAFETY TIPS
From everyone's favorite holiday bird—the turkey—through gifts of holiday food and right down to snacks for New Year's Day bowl games, the information from these sites will help you insure that the goodies stay wholesome.
These basic food safety tips should be followed all year round:
- Wash hands and surfaces often
- Keep foods separate—don't cross contaminate
- Cook to proper temperatures
- Refrigerate promptly—food shouldn't be left out for more than 2 hours
For more holiday specific tips:
- Food Safety of Turkey answers almost any question you may have about types of turkeys available, turkey preparation, how long to cook and so forth. From the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Let's Talk Turkey Food Safety from the Extension Service of Iowa State University
- Holiday Food Safety Tips from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
MAKING HOLIDAYS HAPPY FOR PETS
Don't the dog Fido and cat Fluff deserve to have a little fun, too? Not to mention Jimmy the Gerbil and Pete the Parakeet? Here are tips to keep them safe and happy (even if they have to stay home).
- Chocolate can be toxic to dogs and cats—keep it out of reach
- Instead of a holiday bow around the neck, use a holiday collar
- Keep pets away from antifreeze
- Keep plastic and foil wrappings away from your pets
- Keep tinsel and glass ornaments out of your pet's reach
- Keep plants out of reach—many are toxic to pets
Prepared for Corning Credit Union by Remar Sutton & Associates, December 2003. Reviewed and updated March 2007. All rights reserved.
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