Warm weather means day trips to the lake or beach, long road trips to see the sights, or extended visits with family. These adventures can be great. However, they can also seem to last forever- especially if traveling with youngsters! And driving during the summer, the number of people on the road can increase. With more vehicles, dealing with stop and go traffic becomes far more common than most of us would like.

This stop and go traffic often results in hot tempers, more accidents, and risk of mechanical emergency. There is not much you can do to completely prevent heavy traffic. But there are proactive measures to make them more bearable.

How to Deal with Heavy Traffic

Distractions:

1. Remove distractions. Sitting in stopped traffic is not the time to check your email or send a text. The average text takes 5 seconds to send. While an insignificant amount of time, it only takes a split second for something to go awry and cause an accident.  Stay alert and keep your eyes on the road and the drivers around you.
2. Don’t rubberneck. While you should be watching the traffic around you, don’t get caught up in looking at a single spot. For example, looking at the incident causing the hitch in traffic! Don’t turn your head to stare at something that doesn’t involve you.

Defensive Driving:

1. Stay in your lane. Weaving between lanes isn’t going to save you any significant amount of time. But frequent weaving does increase the likelihood of an accident. Only change lanes to avoid a slow line of trucks or road debris. It is also important to leave space on the right for any vehicles entering the highway.
2. Keep a safe distance. Stop and go traffic is best navigated by following the 3-second rule. This can help prevent an accident from occurring.
3. Accelerate slowly. There’s no real benefit in moving faster. In fact, starting quickly after pausing in traffic can result in a bump up. Simply drive at a reduced rate -even when there is a space to move forward- so you can stop fast if needed.
4. Merge carefully. Use extra caution when you change lanes. Use your blinker and be sure to check your blind spots before making a move. When you make your move do it slowly, avoiding sharp movements.
5. Take a deep breath. Road rage doesn’t solve anything. In heavy traffic getting cut off is likely. Don’t let it destroy your day. To help keep you calm when stuck in heavy traffic, consider having a pod cast, specific playlist, or audiobook you can listen to help you pass the time. Remember, everyone on the road with you is experience the same driving condition. Losing your cool won’t solve the problem.

Vehicle Maintenance and Preparation:

1. Be sure your vehicle is road ready. Before heading out take a few minutes to do a basic inspection of your car. Check the brake lights, have properly working wipers, adjust your rearview and side mirrors to allow plenty of visibility, test the tire pressure, and be sure all fluids are topped off. Make it easy to keep transmission fluid, oil, water, etc., at the correct level by always having AMSOIL car products on hand. You can get what you need from local dealer, Buy Great Oil.
2. Check the route before leaving. Take a moment to look at a map app and note any areas of heavy congestion. Then, if possible, find another route so you can avoid the traffic.
3. Be prepared for weather. Have your sunglasses ready and know your wipers can handle any inclement weather. Visibility is a must in heavy traffic.

Heavy traffic is never fun. But doing your part to stay safe will make it more bearable.