Tips for safe Christmas break travel

It’s almost time for Christmas break, and that means that most students are going to be traveling at least a short distance. Whether your trip is twelve minutes or twelve hours long, it’s a good idea to have a travel plan in place for Christmas break that will allow you to reach your destination safely. Driving home – especially if your trip is more than an hour or two – can pose some unique challenges and risks during the winter season. So before you head out of Seward this December, keep these tips in mind – and your travel will be much safer and smoother. 

Stay alert 

Driving for a long time can get boring – fast. Sometimes, being bored can lead drivers to become tired, a feeling that can quickly become dangerous when traveling at highway speeds. If possible, keep yourself alert by carpooling with friends. If no one else needs a ride to your part of the state or country, stay alert by listening to music or podcasts, taking frequent breaks or even talking on the phone – hands-free, after starting the call from a parked location, of course! If you’re a fan of any caffeinated beverage, have one in the car to sip on while driving. It’s extremely important to do whatever you can to stay awake and alert on the road when traveling home for a break.  

Avoid risky driving behaviors 

Beyond the dangers inherent to driving a car at high speeds – such as on a highway or interstate – further ones arise if your driving behavior is risky. When you’re traveling, pay attention to speed limits. Don’t text while driving and be patient with other drivers. Practicing safe driving will greatly decrease your chances of getting in a wreck. No matter how exciting it may be to finally go home at the end of the semester, or even if you’re running behind on time, it’s not worth it to ignore the rules of the road. It is far better to arrive at home late but safe than risk getting into a crash.   

Pay attention to road conditions 

This tip is especially important when traveling during the winter season. In many parts of the country, road conditions tend to get worse around the Christmas season. Whether it’s snow, rain or sleet, various forms of precipitation can impact how easy it’ll be to travel on your way home. Before you leave, pay attention to weather forecasts for Seward as well as the route you’ll travel. Be open to planning an alternate route or changing travel times. Winter can be an unpredictable season, so it’s important to keep your plans flexible.  

Keep family and friends updated 

It’s a good practice when traveling to provide people on the destination side of your trip with the time when they should expect you to arrive. If your travel plans change, you’ll need to update these people as well. The purpose of this tip is to give someone in your destination location a way to estimate when you’ll arrive, assuming a safe and successful journey. In the case that something unexpected would occur, your family or friends would be able to act promptly to address the circumstances. When combined with the other travel tips provided, this provides you with another layer of safety.  

Make an emergency kit 

It’s especially important during the winter months to be prepared for even the worst-case scenario, such as becoming stranded in your car. Although this case is unlikely, especially given modern opportunities for quick communication with others, it is better to be prepared with something you’ll never need to use than to remain unprepared for an extremely unfortunate situation. Before you head home for Christmas, create an "emergency kit” with food, water bottles, a blanket, jumper cables, a first aid kit and other items that would be useful for survival and rescue should you become stranded or trapped.  

Christmas break should be an exciting, relaxing time, and the best way to start it is by making a safe trip home. Following these tips won’t ensure your safety with 100% certainty, but it will make a successful trip home much more likely.  

Concordia University, Nebraska promises students a Lutheran, Christian higher education that equips them not only with skills and a degree, but also a sense of vocation and purpose for the future. It emphasizes the importance of the Gospel and is a Christ-centered community of believers and academics. Learn more about applying to Concordia here.