Follow these guidelines while traveling for the holidays.
We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season. As you prepare for Thanksgiving and holiday travel, take extra precautions to make it a safe trip to your destination.
- Make sure your car is in proper working order before you hit the road.
- Follow all travel signs and advisories, and check the weather conditions along your route.
- Don’t text or use social media while driving.
- Map your route in advance or use a hands-free navigation assistant, and be prepared for busy roads during the most popular times of the year. If possible, consider leaving earlier or later to avoid heavy traffic.
- If you’re traveling with children, remind them not to talk to strangers. Go with them on bathroom breaks and give them whistles to be used only if the family gets separated.
- Have roadside assistance contact information on hand in case an incident occurs on the road.
- In case of an emergency, keep a cell phone and charger with you at all times.
A few general holiday and cold weather safety tips:
- Keep electrical cords from a knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer safely tucked on the counter and away from children, stoves or the sink. Keep children away from hot stoves and
ovens.
- Frying a turkey? Set up the fryer on flat ground more than 10 feet from the house and keep children away.
- Use a thawed and dry turkey; any water will cause the oil to bubble furiously and spill over.
- Use mitts when handling fryer lid and handle, as they can become very hot and cause burns.
- Have a fire extinguisher ready at all times.
- To prevent both burns and electrical shocks, do not gift children under age 10 a toy that must be plugged in. Instead, buy toys that are battery-operated.
- Young children can choke on small parts contained in toys or games.
- Children can have serious stomach and intestinal problems – including death – after swallowing button batteries or magnets. In addition to toys, button batteries are often found in musical greeting cards, remote controls, hearing aids, and other small electronics. Small, powerful magnets are present in many homes as part of building toy sets. Keep button batteries and magnets away from young children.
- Always use a proper step ladder when decorating. Don’t stand on chairs or other furniture.
- Check your holiday lights for exposed or frayed wires, loose connections or broken sockets, and replace if necessary.
- Inspect space heaters for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections before each use. If frayed, worn or damaged, do not use the heater.
- Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off and unplug it when you’re leaving a room or going to sleep, and don’t let pets or children play too close to a space heater.
- Space heaters are only meant to provide supplemental heat and should never be used to warm bedding, cook food, dry clothing or thaw pipes.
- Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas and test them once a month.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything flammable.
- Place space heaters away from high traffic areas and doorways, where they can pose a tripping hazard.
- Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Do not use an extension cord or power strip, and do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater.
- Place space heaters on level, flat surfaces. Never place heaters on cabinets, tables, furniture, or carpet, which can overheat and start a fire.
