California Attorney Provides 5 Tips for a Safe Holiday in 2016

For most of us, this means we will be driving more as we go out shopping, visiting people and celebrating.

As a result of this, our roadways and freeways will be busier than usual and the chances of having a collision are going to increase. It’s important that you leave extra time to get places so you don’t have to hurry and risk a crash.

Our roads are not the only place where accidents can happen. Crowded shopping malls, amusement parks and busy restaurants are also places where slip and fall incidents can lead to devastating injuries for some people. To avoid having this happen wear comfortable shoes and avoid distractions such as walking while texting.

Here are five tips to remember this holiday season:

1. Protect Yourself from Porch Pirates
   One of the fastest growing crimes lately has been package thefts from people’s front door steps. As online shopping becomes more popular, thieves have found a new way to enrich themselves by taking your brand new items right from your doorstep. Protect yourself by setting up electronic delivery alerts, send packages to your office or another secure location or work together with neighbors to ensure you are not a victim.
2. Parking Lot Thieves
   As you go out shopping the packages begin to pile up, but make sure you don’t leave them in plain view in your car. These gifts should never be left in your car unattended, but if you must then it’s best to have them hidden from view. It takes just seconds for thieves to break into your vehicle and steal valuables. Make sure you also lock your doors and park in well-lit locations as close to the store as possible.
3. Travel Safely
   The best time to travel is in the daylight hours when there are fewer drunk or drugged drivers out on the roadways. Avoid traveling during peak rush hours when heavy traffic often leads to more collisions. Never drive drowsy, drunk or distracted behind the wheel. Take advantage of ride sharing opportunities with friends or relatives so you can share the driving responsibility.  Make sure your children have a safe ride home from activities. Have your vehicle inspected to ensure it is safe to drive. Tires should be regularly checked whether you are driving far or not. Many of the worst collisions take place just a few miles from home.
4. Candles Can Cause Home Fires
   Did you know that the three top days of the year for home fires caused by candles are Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and Dec. 23. If you light a candle, set an alarm so you are reminded to blow it out. Always place lighted candles away from Christmas trees, holiday decorations or curtains that may catch on fire.  Check your batteries in your smoke alarms and make sure you have them placed throughout the house.
5. Insurance
   One of the best ways to protect yourself is to make sure that you don’t let your car and or house insurance lapse. There are a lot of expenses over the holiday season and no one wants to have to pay for insurance, but this is not the time to forget a payment. In fact, you may wish to add uninsured motorist protection to your insurance coverage and raise the limits to at least $100,000/$300,000. If you are injured by an uninsured motorist you will have no protection and the same goes if a driver has a low policy that doesn’t cover your losses.

Johnson Attorneys Group would like to wish everyone a happy holiday. It’s our pleasure to have helped thousands of people recover their losses over the past decade and we especially enjoy giving back and paying it forward to our community through volunteering and donating to causes. Our experienced team of attorneys and legal staff are here to help at 800-235-6801 and we are open during the holidays.