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| Labor Day traffic likely to be heavy, stressful |
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| Written by Ron Kaye |
| Friday, 03 September 2010 18:07 |
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Atlanta deemed one of the most hazardous driving cities, so use caution & common sense This coming Monday, Americans take a day to celebrate and honor the workers who have built and continue to build our great country. At least, that's the theory. In practice, most view Labor Day primarily as a paid day off, and a time to fire up the barbecue, tune the big screen TV to the races and games, and generally have a good time. For many of those celebrants, the good time will take them out of town for the long weekend, and given the state of the economy, many will be driving rather than flying to their destinations. While most of us enjoy a drive along Georgia's scenic byways, extra caution is needed, since highway traffic will likely be quite heavy, and according to a study commissioned by Allstate Insurance Company, driving in the Atlanta area is hazardous enough, even during normal times. This study, the company's sixth annual "America's Best Drivers ReportTM," ranked 193 US cities for safest drivers and the likelihood of having a wreck, with number 1 being the safest city. The Big Peach came in at number 146. Of cities with a population roughly equivalent to Atlanta, only Washington, D.C. (which ranked dead last) had worse drivers. According to the Georgia Department of Transportation's website (www.georgia-navigator.com), Atlanta-area commuters rack up over 100 million vehicle miles every business day. This weekend, you can expect a good number of those drivers to be rushing to get to their preferred destinations, and they're likely to be more "enthusiastic" than they are on their way to and from work. They won't be looking out for your safety, so it's up to you to take extra care on your way. Here are a few tips to help you avoid becoming an unwilling contributor to Atlanta's reputation for dangerous drivers: Make certain that you and your vehicle are in shape to drive - An extra cup of coffee doesn't make up for a lack of sleep - Designated driver. 'Nuff said - Have your car serviced before heading out; it beats waiting at the side of the road for the auto club Don't get distracted - Shaving and primping is best performed in a stationary location, like your bathroom, not in the car - Finish the Egg McSandwich, hash browns, and cappuccino before setting out - Turn the cell phone off, or have a passenger handle any calls - Know your route before you leave, or have someone else in the car navigate - Multitasking is for computers, not people driving 70mph - Texting? Watching videos? Channel surfing on the radio? No. Just no. Drive according to conditions - No real worries about ice this time of year, but rain - especially heavy rain - can be hazardous - Turn off your cruise control in heavy rain. It can get creative on wet roads and morph into "lose control" - Slow down on rough patches, in construction areas, and in heavy traffic conditions - Lighten up and relax. Enjoy the drive, rather than race to your destination It's a holiday, not a blood sport competition - Remember that other drivers have their own dramas going on. Don't make them your dramas. - Again, it's not a race. If other drivers are trying to win, let them - Unless you know for a fact that the other driver is deaf, avoid using sign language These are all common-sense things we can do to make certain that our holiday journeys end up being pleasant memories, rather than headlines or statistics. We just need to remind ourselves that our common sense doesn't get to take a holiday, even if everyone else on the road seems to have forgotten. Have a safe trip and a great long weekend! Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites |
