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3 tips to stay safe in busy holiday traffic

On I-64 and I-75, consistent backups, heavy traffic, construction and collisions are a constant reality. If you’ve tried to travel up between Lexington and Frankfort or Frankfort and Louisville, you know how congested the roads can get. If you travel up I-75 to Cincinnati, it’s even worse.

As the holidays approach, you’ll notice an uptick in traffic. Traffic almost always gets heavier at the holidays, since people are out shopping, kids are out of school, people travel to see family and so many events take place all around the state.

If you plan to travel this year, there are a few good tips you should follow to stay safer. Here are three to consider as you plan for backed up traffic, traffic jams and crashes:

1. Keep your distance

When people rush, make mistakes in heavy traffic or just aren’t paying attention, the likelihood is that there will be a crash. As a result of a crash, all of the traffic between two points can get backed up. For example, a common place to see backed up traffic is between Florence and Cincinnati, where a single crash can make the short 15-to-30-minute drive hours long.

Even in places where there are multiple lanes, the heavy traffic can bottleneck and slow you down on your journey. How can you stay safe in this traffic? Be on guard. Watch out for vehicles that are stopping and starting. Try to keep a distance from them (around a car’s length) if you can.

2. Fuel up

Another important tip for long-distance travels is to make sure you have the fuel you need to get where you’re going. If you don’t have much gas, a quarter of a tank or less, then get to a gas station quickly. If you end up in a traffic jam, your car could run out of gas, and you will feel the pressure of not having a full tank.

3. Give yourself more time

Finally, give yourself as much time as you can. If you need to be somewhere at 7 p.m. and it’s a five-hour drive, don’t wait to leave until 2 p.m. The reality is that your trip could take much longer, so leave with a few hours of leeway when you can. This will make your trip much more relaxing.

These are three ways to help yourself if you’re traveling this year. Be safe, so you can get to your destination on time and in good health.

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