Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and then we have the winter holidays in December, followed by the long-awaited New Year. 2020 has thrown almost all of us for a loop, and while we’re all happy to see 2021 come around, we still have to make it through this holiday season and the holiday travel. Holiday travel this year will not be like anything we’ve experienced before, and for some Atlanta locals, it’ll be a relief.
If you’re planning on traveling and 20/20 for the holiday season, then you should start making your plans as early as possible. However, if you’re looking to stay home, you might still want to make plans to ensure you don’t have to go out in holiday traffic. Here’s some insight into what you might expect during the holiday travel season for 2020 and how to best plan your ideal holiday situation.
Our First Major Holiday of the Season – What to Expect in Holiday Travel
Thanksgiving is at our doorstep, and this is the fifth most dangerous holiday weekend to drive on. From Thursday to Sunday, they’re often a slew of accidents which can result in fatalities and injuries. So make sure that you plan ahead.
Keep in mind that a good plan can help you avoid all sorts of dangers, make all of your holiday travel plans before you get into the car. Have your GPS set up before you pull out of the driveway, set your phone to do not disturb or on to drive mode, and expect traffic. Fewer people are worried about staying indoors, and many would like to return to the much-loved traditions of this season. You might see less holiday traffic, but there will certainly still be traffic to deal with during your holiday travel.
The CDC recommends that all drivers look at three specific elements before they decide to drive. First, no one should drive when they are impaired. Call a taxi, Rideshare service, or friend to get you home. Second, avoid distractions, and you can do this by setting your phone to drive mode or to do not disturb. Third, know the weather conditions before you drive and make sure you’re prepared to handle the road conditions.
Watch the Downtown Connector
If you live in Atlanta or drive through Atlanta frequently, you know that the downtown connector is a confusing and complicated highway interchange.
Atlanteans are certainly not surprised that the downtown connector has been named the top holiday crash spot in Georgia year after year. But in 2019, Geo Safe Labs released its holiday crash data and found that Atlanta’s downtown connector is the top holiday crash site in the United States.
Even with fewer tourists and visitors, it’s likely that you’ll see a higher volume of people using the connector as they go about their holiday shopping and come in from the suburbs are nearby cities to see family.
Plan Any Events Well in Advance
If dealing with COVID-19 at of anything at that, we need to plan events well in advance and be flexible with our plans. It’s an oxymoron that has become part of our everyday lives. Plan, but expect your plans to fall apart.
If you’re leaving Atlanta by plane, then make sure that you have more than enough time to get to the airport and go through security with additional social distancing measures causing further delays. If you’re heading out into holiday traffic for some shopping, even grocery shopping, again, give yourself more time than you would normally expect for these errands because of social distancing.
Recover from a Crash with an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer
Accidents always happen at the worst or least expected times. Surely you don’t plan on getting into a car crash in Atlanta while you’re out Black Friday shopping or trying to pick someone up from the airport, but it happens. Take a moment and decompress because everyone should know that a crash in the holiday season is more common than people believe. Accidents happen during the holiday season, and it can lead to unexpected deaths in the family, life-changing injuries, or financial inconvenience.
To take action and push for a full financial recovery, I file your car accident claim through an Atlanta car accident lawyer. At the Weinstein firm, we take all of the elements of the crash and the recovery into consideration when handling a claim. We know that with the upcoming holidays you want to get your household back on track as quickly as possible and we’ll do everything we can to help make that happen.
