With Memorial Day weekend coming up and college graduations beginning, expect heavy traffic. Whether it’s heading out west for a city trip, heading east for a day at the beach, or taking advantage of all the shopping deals in between, we can expect Long Island to be littered with traffic. Unfortunately, more cars on the road often means more potential accidents. It would be a shame if a fun weekend was cut short because of an unexpected car accident. These tips could help prevent a frustrating and potentially devastating situation.

Plan Ahead

Don’t put yourself in a stressful situation by not taking into account the potential traffic. If you feel rushed, you are more likely to do something unsafe. Check the traffic conditions and leave early.

Stay Calm

Traffic is frustrating. And you can be sure that everyone else stuck in traffic is also unhappy about it. Unfortunately, there is really nothing you can do about it. So it’s best to stay calm and not let it affect your mood. This will prevent you from doing something unsafe in an effort to get through the heavy traffic. Weaving from lane to lane and aggressive acceleration is dangerous. It is not worth getting into an accident to save a mere couple of seconds in traffic. Rather, you should do all you can to stay focused, and expect the unexpected in these heavily trafficked scenarios.

Stay Focused

When you are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, there is a major temptation to give in to distracted driving. Avoid the temptation to take advantage of the “opportunity” to eat, look at your phone or apply makeup. Often times, other cars make sudden stops, turns and lane changing in heavy traffic and if you are not paying attention, you could easily cause a collision. Additionally, while music can be calming and help pass the time, don’t get too into your music. This is another easy way to lose focus.

Remember Your Driving Fundamentals

While adhering to basic driving fundamentals is always important, it is especially important in heavy traffic situations to always let other drivers be aware of what your vehicle is doing. Long Islanders sometimes have a habit of turning on their directional after they have begun changing lanes. This is not helpful for anyone to anticipate what you are doing, and New York State law require at least a 100 foot warning via turn signal before you turn, merge or change lanes.

Further, it is even more important to check your blind spot before changing lanes. Although it isn’t safe, many cars like to tailgate in heavy traffic so changing lanes can be especially hazardous and only do so if there is a safe amount of space. Avoid cutting people off, it saves you little to no time.