Help Flash – safety tips for this holiday season

Christmas is synonymous with moments of sharing, harmony, excitement, and joy, but it can also be a challenging time. Whether it’s last-minute gifts or trips to visit family, the number of cars on the road increases, requiring extra care behind the wheel to ensure road safety. Follow Help Flash’s safety advice for this holiday season. 1. Prepare your trips in advance The preparation of the usual trips at this time of year, which coincides with winter and often adverse weather conditions, should start before leaving home. Check the weather, study the route (there are several applications, such as Waze, that you can use to anticipate the most congested points), and establish realistic travel times. Remember that the increase in vehicles on the road can significantly increase the estimated duration. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 2. Ensure your visibility If you are leaving early and have parked your car on the street, remember that there is a good chance you will have problems with fogged windows or ice accumulation on the windshield. Leave home prepared with a very useful homemade solution: Mix 1/3 water with 2/3 ethyl alcohol in a small spray bottle and spray the affected areas to speed up defrosting and defogging. Attention, never use hot water as the thermal shock can break the glass!

In the interior, the best solution is to use air conditioning, which projects air with a reduced humidity level. 

3rd Stay alert and awake

With longer trips, often taken after “feastful” meals, fatigue and decreased levels of attention can be the cause of many accidents. It’s better to rest a bit before or even during the journey. There are studies that indicate that a fatigued driver may have reaction times similar to those of a driver with excess alcohol…

4th Opt for defensive driving

Some of these techniques include being even more attentive to your surroundings, paying attention to the behavior of road users, and avoiding, whenever possible, abrupt maneuvers. Also, maintain a distance of four seconds from other drivers and adjust your speed to road conditions. Remember that water and, especially, ice, can double the stopping distances of a car or motorcycle.

5th Properly secure your belongings

During family party travels, we all dress up as Santa Claus and load the car with dozens of gifts. Pay attention to loose objects in the cabin and remember that, in an emergency braking, these can turn into real projectiles. For safety reasons, choose to transport all objects in the trunk and daily use utensils or items you want to keep close to you (like the Help Flash) should be properly stored in the appropriate places (door pockets, glove compartment, etc…). When accommodating the load in the trunk area, do it in a way that does not impair visibility to the rear.

6th Always have the Help Flash at hand

Especially considering the time of year we are in, with fewer hours of natural light and the occurrence of atmospheric phenomena such as fog and heavy rain, being able to see and be seen should be two priorities. Always place your Help Flash before leaving the vehicle to set up the mandatory vest and signaling triangle.

Learn more at www.help-flash.com