It always happens at the worst of times. You are cruising along your commute on I-94 only to find yourself coming upon a stream of tail lights. As you start to apply your brakes, you wonder how long you will be delayed and just how late you might be to work today. Unfortunately, traffic is a part of everyday life — especially here in the greater Milwaukee area. If you have to deal with it, you might as well cope with it as efficiently and safely as possible. We here at Couri Insurance have put together a list of tips for managing traffic no matter where you are.
Avoid Aggressive Driving
When you don’t know why traffic is at a stand-still, you might wonder whether one or more lanes of traffic are blocked. As you see cars on one side inch forward, it can be tempting to sneak your vehicle into that lane in hopes of reaching your destination faster. The easiest way to cause an accident is by driving too aggressively. Be patient on the road and courteous to other drivers. Never weave in and out of traffic, and always provide room for other motorists to merge into traffic when necessary.
Keep Your Eyes on the Road
Even though you feel like you are doing nothing in traffic, this is not the time to check emails or scroll through your social media feed. Even when traffic is stalled, you should keep your focus on the road ahead. Texting and other distractions might keep you from seeing brake lights as you roll forward in traffic.
Stay in Your Vehicle
If traffic comes to a standstill, avoid the urge to get out of your vehicle. You never know when an angry driver might try to bypass traffic and speed down the shoulder of the highway or jump across the grass to an access road. Even if you stand in the middle of the road while your vehicle is idle, traffic might start to move quickly, leaving you with little time to get back in your car. No one wants to be dodging traffic in the middle of a busy highway. Worse, no one wants to find that they accidentally locked themselves out of a vehicle in the middle of the road.
Call to Let Your Boss Know You Will be Late
If it’s obvious you are going to be late for work or wherever else you are supposed to be, go ahead and call someone to let them know. Not only does this make them aware of the situation, but it can also alleviate some pressure on you knowing that no one is expecting you to arrive right away.
Check Traffic Reports
Traffic reports can be your best friend when traveling or commuting. Many news stations offer traffic reports on the radio. However, many drivers opt to use GPS mapping that provides traffic updates and detours in real time. Google provides the technology, as do Apple phones. You can even receive verbal updates while driving so as not to be distracted by a hand-held device.
Of course, the most important thing you can do before driving in traffic is to make sure your insurance coverage is up to date. You never know when your vehicle could be the cause of the next highway jam or suffer a fender bender while waiting in traffic. You need to know that you have coverage for a tow truck and collision repairs, as well as medical payments protection and a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired. For more information about insurance that helps mitigate your risk in traffic, contact our office to request a free, no-obligation car insurance quote. We look forward to serving you soon.
