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I'll be home for Christmas! Will you? If you're like around 40% of Americans, you will be traveling back to your hometown, to a relatives house, or to another destination other than your home this holiday season.
While traveling from place to place throughout the holidays, it's important to take precautions that will ensure your safety and security. To help you have the best holiday season possible, we have decided to share some safety and security tips for holiday travel!
SAFETY TIPS
Holiday travel most often includes weather related risks and a higher volume of traffic than one faces during other times of the year. For these reasons, it's important to stay alert and take precautions when driving during Christmastime. Here are a few tips to help you properly prepare for your time on the roads and highways!
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SAFETY TIP # 1. Pack Your Car with The Right Supplies
Having an emergency kit in your car is always a good idea, but it becomes especially crucial during the winter. Before you leave for your holiday trip, equip your car with some emergency items! Pack extra blankets, flashlights, jackets, and portable chargers for your phones. If you have the misfortune of becoming stranded or veering off the road because of snow and ice, these items will help you stay warm and call for help without using your car's gasoline or battery. Our Fleece Lined Wool Socks are also a fantastic thing to have packed in situations when staying warm is crucial! Hats, gloves, and scarves are also holiday travel essentials! If you're looking for an accessory that will help keep you warm and also look your best for dinners and events once you arrive at your destination, check out our Sari Silk Medley Scarves!
SAFETY TIP # 2. Do a Car Maintenance Check Before Taking Off
No one likes getting on the road for a long trip only to discover that their vehicle has some sort of maintenance problem. Thankfully, many minor car problems can be detected and fixed at home before you leave! Give yourself ample time before your departure to check the air pressure in your tires (including your spare!), make sure that your oil level is up and that you will not be due for an oil change soon, and that your vehicle has a reasonable amount of anti-freeze, coolant, and windshield washing fluid. These checks will prevent common and easily avoidable roadside mishaps. Minimizing your chances of car problems is certain to help you have stress free holidays!
SAFETY TIP # 3. Leave Early
Whenever you have a long drive ahead of you, it is always a good idea to leave early and give yourself extra time to get to your destination! Something as simple as a little extra time can make all the difference. When roads are snowy and you need to drive slowly, having left early will take some of the stress out of those long winter drives.
Winter roads are a challenge all season long. As you do your holiday shopping, we recommend shopping online to limit your time on the road. Don't forget to check out the the amazing gifts that Darn Good Yarn has to offer!
SAFETY TIP # 4. Check the Forecast
Speaking of snowy roads, don't forget to check the forecast before you go! This will help you be prepared for any nasty weather you may face, or even help you decide whether or not the weather is going to be too severe to make your planned trip.
If you'll be flying this holiday season, check out the the NOAA Wx Forecast. This will give you local weather as well weather for any airports you may be flying in and out of.
SAFETY TIP # 5. Drive Sober!
We can't have a conversation about safe travel tips without bringing this one up. The holidays for many of us include parties and celebrations that will involve enjoying a few drinks. Remember to get a DD or call an Uber if you need to leave the party after drinking.
SECURITY TIPS
Another think to think about when you're going away for days at a time, your home's safety is important too! Even if you live in a low-crime neighborhood, it never hurts to take precautions to make sure your home is secure and protected while you're out. Unfortunately, burglary has reached record highs during the holidays in years past simply because of the large number of people who travel and leave their residences unattended. How to you keep modern day Grinches from stealing your Christmas while you're gone? Here are some ideas!
SECURITY TIP # 1. Put Your Lights on Timers
One of the best ways to ward off unwanted intruders when you're not at home is to make it appear as if you're still there. If robbers notice that your lights are off and that your car is not in the driveway for days at a time, they may get the hint that your home is unguarded. There are a few ways that you can make your home look lived it while you aren't living in it. The first is to put your lights on timers. If the lights are on for a portion of the evening and then turn off again later at night, any onlookers will be lead to believe that someone is there.
SECURITY TIP # 2. Ask a Friend or Neighbor to Take Your Trash Cans In and Out
Another clue that anyone of criminal intent might have that your house is unoccupied that your trash is not being brought out to the street at normal times. If you live in a neighborhood with regular trash collection days, ask a friend or neighbor to bring your trash cans outside and back on these days.
SECURITY TIP #3. Put Your Mail on Hold
Have you ever come back from a vacation to find your mail box overflowing with envelopes and advertisements that built up while you were away? You may not be the only one who notices that overflow of mail. An overly full mail box is always a sure sign that a resident is not at home. Before your upcoming holiday trip, talk to your local post office about putting your mail on hold until you return!
SECURITY TIP #4. Have Someone Pick Up Any Non-USPS Packages
This tip goes hand in hand with the previous one. When packages are left outside your door or on the porch, it is obvious that your not there to pick them up. Worse yet, it puts the packages themselves at risk of being stolen. Have a friend or neighbor pick up any incoming packages that aren't coming from the United States Postal Service and keep them for you.
SECURITY TIP #5. If It Fits Your Budget, Invest in a WiFi Camera
If your home does not have a security system, wifi cameras are a good alternative. Not only will these cameras allow you to see if anything goes awry while you're away - they will also deter intruders if they are in plain sight. If you're interested, check out Nest and Amazon Cloud Cameras!
We hope that these tips have helped you prepare for a safe and happy holiday season! Did we leave anything out? If you have any great winter travel tips, let us know! We love to hear from you.
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