Traveling For Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving  is  undoubtedly the busiest travel time of the year. Traffic and travel snags meet travelers at nearly every turn. With  some thoughtful planning, you can ease some travel headaches whether you're heading home for the holidays or escaping for a drama-free adventure.

 Regardless of your plans, you'll be thankful for these Thanksgiving travel tips.

 

1. Plan out an alternate route

More travelers mean more cars, and more accidents, make sure you have at least one alternate route planned out that you can take to avoid huge delays. Try to plan your route along less popular freeways. Even if the mileage is a bit more it will be worth it when you’re driving 65 for that extra 10 miles than stuck locked in traffic for an extra 2 hours. This is also a good idea for those traveling very long distances where weather may be an issue.

2. Have a connected navigator

It doesn’t do you any good knowing about a great alternate route when you’re already swamped in traffic, so try to have a passenger that can look online at the traffic as you go. There are tons of great apps out there like Sigalert.com, Waze, and INRIX Traffic. With the help of your passenger and one of these apps you can see where the trouble areas are on the road and proactively avoid them. If you plan on going it alone make sure to pull off the road before using your phone. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of single passenger vehicles.

3. Leave at an awkward hour

Driving at night may not be fun, but it is a great way to avoid the traffic saving you time and stress. Consider resting all day and not getting on the road until 9pm. It is important to make sure that you get plenty of rest before setting out on a long night drive, as fatigued driving creates a huge hazard on the road.

4. Make your drive on Thanksgiving Day

 

Generally the traffic is much lighter across the U.S. on Thanksgiving Day itself, meaning that you can avoid the hassle of traffic the day before and get where you’re going without having to leave at a strange hour or risk sitting in traffic for hours. Unless you are traveling an extreme distance, leaving at 6 am Thursday morning should give you more than enough time to make it wherever you are going in time for dinner.

5. Leave Early!

Sunday is by far the worst day to be making your return trip, and the traffic will only increase as the day goes on and the last of the stragglers are getting back on the road. Friday is the best day to hit the road for the return trip. Of course that does not leave you a whole lot of time to visit the family if you just drove up the day before, consider taking off the following Monday and returning then. That way you’ll miss all of the holiday traffic, and have an extra two days to spend with the family — OK, maybe just leave Friday.

 Car-Lotta Wishes You A Happy Thanksgiving.

Our offices will be CLOSED on Thursday, November, 28th in observance of the Holiday. 

Do You Know The Risks Of Fall Driving?

It won't be long before  snow will start  falling (ugh) . 

Fall driving can be unpredictable because of weather changes, the end of daylight saving time and the start of school. 

Know the risks and prepare! 

Watch out for kids. Early in the school year, youngsters often haven't developed the habit of looking for moving traffic before they cross the road leaving a school bus. It's illegal to motor past a stopped bus in most places. And buses are beginning to use cameras to catch people who do drive by when the "Stop" arms are extended and the lights are flashing. Older kids driving to and from school are a danger, and in danger, too. "Teen crashes spike  as kids head back to school, and happen more often during hours when school begins and lets out.

Beware of darkness. It comes earlier anyway as the year ages, and that's accelerated when clocks most places in the U.S. shift back to standard time in early November. While just 25 percent of our driving is at night, 50 percent of traffic deaths occur then, according to the National Safety Council. Also, a 50-year-old driver might need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old, NSC notes. And at 60 years and older, we generally see road signs less clearly, we have more trouble judging speed and distance, and glare begins to bother us more.

Be critter conscious. You're 3.5 times more likely to hit an animal - especially a deer - in November than at any other time of the year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety cautions. Deer are likely to be mating in November and that's why you see more of them.. About 1 of every 100 drivers will hit a deer during the driver's life behind the wheel.

           Car-Lotta Credit and Car Sales reminds you to drive safe.

How Often Do You Drive At Night?

We all know there are plenty of driving hazards to worry about during the day – f rain-rain- snow-deer-potholes. Driving at night adds a completely new set of challenges.

Why? It all comes down to one word: visibility.

During a clear day, you might be able to see thousands of feet ahead of you. But when the sun’s down and your headlights are on, that visibility can be reduced to as little as 150 feet!

All this means that when driving at night, you have less time to react. It’s important to make sure you’re seeing things clearly.
 

Here are few tips for driving at night......

• Check your vision. Even if you don’t wear prescription glasses, poor night vision may warrant a trip to the eye doctor. As you age, it’s common to have more difficulty seeing at night. Blurry vision, trouble seeing objects or experiencing glare from lights are all reasons to schedule an appointment. Correcting your vision with glasses or contact lenses could put an end to your night-driving woes.
• Get a clear view. A dirty windshield or worn windshield wipers can add an extra layer of difficulty to nighttime driving, especially if the rain starts to pour. For increased visibility, always make sure your windshield is clean and replace your wipers if they start to streak.
• Clean your headlights. Road grime can easily cover your headlights and dim their beams. Old, oxidized plastic housings can make lenses foggy. Remember to clean your headlights periodically and pick up a headlight restoration kit at your local auto parts store if your lights look cloudy or yellowed.
• Dim your dashboard. Bright infotainment screens and dashboards aren’t just distracting – they can also make it difficult for your eyes to adjust to low light. Use the dimmer switch in your vehicle to turn down the lights and improve your nighttime visibility in the process.
  
• Leave the night driving glasses at home. Like many “As-Seen-On-TV” products, night driving glasses aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Tinted lenses can help during the day, but anything designed to limit light at night is counterintuitive. Your eyes will adjust to low light on their own. If it’s hard to see at night, try the above tips before investing in these yellow shades.

The most dangerous trips you take are the ones that happen after the sun goes down. Following these tips can keep your visibility at its best, helping you maintain a clear view of the road ahead.

At Car-Lotta  we’re focused on the road ahead, too.

Did You Remember To Fall Back?

 The afternoons are about to feel a whole lot shorter!!

Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 3, across the United States, which means earlier sunsets and longer nights.

The time change officially takes place at 2 a.m. local time, but you don't necessarily have to move the big hand on your clock behind an hour. The change is automatic for most smartphones, computers, tablets , some automobiles and other digital devices.

 

Not every state follows Daylight Saving Time. Most of Arizona and Hawaii, along with some U.S. territories.

Car-Lotta reminds you to double check ALL your devices!