Black Friday is chaotic. Areas are flooded with eager and
exhausted shoppers who are rushing to get to stores for the best deals. Not to
mention, the weather is often less-than-desirable, as snow and ice have likely
arrived. Ah, the perfect ingredients for an accident.
Black Friday can be a fun and financially helpful shopping
day, but it can also be dangerous.
If you do choose to participate in Black Friday shopping,
there are a few defensive and preventative driving tips you might want to take
advantage of.
1. Plan your day ahead of time
Having a plan for your day is a good idea. You should have
an idea of what stores you’d like to visit and what items you’re looking for at
each respective location. Another good idea is to plan your route to the
stores. Keep in mind that traffic will likely be much more congested and hectic
than it is on a typical shopping day. For this reason, it’s also smart to plan
a couple alternate routes. You might even consider using a mapping application
on your mobile device. Many of these applications will help reroute you if you
encounter traffic, an accident, or otherwise.
2. Avoid driver’s fatigue by fueling up and
resting
According to the CDC, drowsy driving may result in up to
6,000 fatal crashes each year. In fact, in 2013 it caused over 72,000 crashes. Many
Black Friday sales begin very early in the morning, so to avoid a drowsy-driving
related incident on your way, be
sure to rest up ahead of time. Before you leave,
have a good breakfast and maybe some caffeine. If you have a meal, post-shopping
extravaganza, try to stay away from alcohol and other things that will induce
grogginess. You’ll likely be exhausted from waking much earlier than normal and
running around all day, which will increase the chances of
being involved in an accident in the restaurant parking lot or on your drive
home.
3. Prevent distracted driving
Even the best of us can get distracted while driving –
especially on a day as hectic as Black Friday. Unfortunately, parking lots are chock
full of people. To avoid hitting another vehicle or much worse, a person, try
to avoid any possible distractions. Pre-loading a playlist, cleaning your
vehicle ahead of time, keeping a safe following distance, and prepping before
your trip are all great tips to prevent
distracted driving.
4. Calm your road rage
It’s important to go
in open-minded. It’s not good to have you heart set on anything in particular.
Say you saw an awesome deal on a new flat screen, and that’s your #1 item on
Black Friday. If that flat screen isn’t available, try to remember that it
isn’t the end of the world. It’s important to go with the flow. The less you
stress – the better. Keeping cool, calm, and collected will hopefully prevent
any road rage related issues. Keep in mind that things can always be worse, and
you can only control yourself!
5. Park strategically
Parking lots are insane on Black Friday – so you
don’t necessarily have as many options as you might have on a typical shopping
day. In this scenario it is better to park further away where there is less
congestion. This way you’ll be less likely to run into another person or
vehicle. You’ll also be less likely to have your car doored, scratched, or
dented by a less careful shopper. 
