Are You Prepared for an Emergency This Holiday Season?

With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us already have our travel plans in place. AAA reports that roughly 43 million people travel at least 50 miles from home for the American Thanksgiving holiday alone.



Whether you are a short 2-hour car ride away or have to fly across the country to spend time with family, it’s more important than ever to stay safe and be prepared for potential “what if” emergency scenarios. This time of year is hectic enough, but when we add traveling into the mix, we become so focused on getting from point A to point B, that 90 percent of us don’t stop to think about preparing ourselves, especially for an emergency.



A friend of mine was in an accident and spent several days unconscious in the hospital before anyone was able to contact his family. I realized then how truly crucial it is to have proper emergency identification with you at all times - what if you have an accident, health emergency, or are caught in a natural disaster , and no one can find basic information like family contacts, health background,  existing conditions, or medication details to help you?

Here are some things you can do to ensure your travels are safe this holiday season:

• Share emergency information with your family/friends– It is important that your family and friends know your emergency information including:
  
  
  
  • Medical information
  
  
  • Important documents like health insurance cards, passports and birth certificates
  
  
  • Emergency contacts
  
  
  
  


• Companies like EmergencyLink.com make it easy for you to store and share this information with family, friends and first responders who can call a 24-hour emergency response center, reference your account number, and get all your pertinent information.

• Make sure to share your travel itinerary - It’s important to let family or friends know where you are and where you’re headed. Travel planning site TripIt.com turns all your flight, hotel and rental confirmation emails into simple, mobile travel itineraries that can also be shared. It’s free and easy to sign up and can help you stay organized, as well

• Check the weather conditions – Given this year’s dramatic east coast storms and often difficult driving conditions in the rest of the country, check your destination’s predicted forecast and prepare accordingly. Be sure to pack the right clothes, replace old windshield wipers, buy a roadside emergency kit for your car and invest in snow tires – whatever the weather calls for. Websites and mobile apps like Weather.com can give you hour by hour forecasts for your destination city.

• Driving? Find the easiest route – Avoid heavy or tricky traffic situations by finding the easiest driving route. A great website is DrivingRoutePlanner.com - it saves you time and gas money by optimizing complex driving routes involving up to twenty-five different addresses. It usually finds you the quickest or shortest route too, which is always helpful. If you have an iPhone, Android or other app-enabled mobile phone, you can assign navigation duty to your passenger and log on to Waze, which gives you real-time information on road conditions, traffic and accidents just up ahead.

These travel preparation guidelines apply not only to you but everyone you know. Spread the word that everyone traveling this holiday season needs to be ready for those “in case of emergency” situations.

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Do you usually share the details of your travel plans with family or friends? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Related:

Five Tips to Prepare Your Elderly Loved Ones for Emergency Situations

On the Solo Road

Family Activities for Thanksgiving Weekend