As we approach the holiday season, there will be plenty of people attending parties who will need rides. This month, we provide tips for making the most of this time of year. We also offer accident prevention tips and hazards caused by vehicles with sliding doors.
Holiday Parties
Use extra caution during the holiday season. Holiday parties cause a spike in the number of people driving under the influence.
- Many of the people who have been drinking will wisely take taxis or other for-hire vehicles (FHVs), as suggested by public service announcements.
Be prepared to be more patient than usual as passengers may be intoxicated – but by hiring you, they are being responsible.
- Passengers are sometimes depressed during the holiday season for personal reasons. Spreading joy will make you feel good and help the passenger.
- Traffic agents will be proactive in issuing “Don’t Block the Box” summonses, so be careful not to block intersections.
- Passengers may have extra packages and/or luggage, so be ready to assist them, so you can start your trip ASAP after loading.
Safe Driving Saves Money and Time
- Lower Insurance Premiums: Clean driving records without tickets or accidents unlock lower rates and safe-driver discounts. Moving violations can cause a huge spike in rates. Speeding up to 15 mph over the limit can raise premiums by 21%, while reckless driving or DUIs boost them even more.
- Fewer Repairs and Maintenance: Avoiding collisions, hard braking, and potholes keeps your suspension, tires, and bodywork intact. Smooth driving also prevents premature wear.
- Better Fuel Economy: Avoiding rapid acceleration, harsh braking, and excessive speeding conserves fuel. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota found that obeying speed limits could collectively save millions of gallons of fuel and tens of millions of dollars daily.
- Avoiding Citations and Legal Fees: Obeying traffic laws prevents expensive tickets, court costs, and mandatory driving school fees. It also helps you avoid traffic stops and accident investigations, keeping your daily schedule predictable and uninterrupted.
- Eliminating Accident Downtime: Crashing – even a minor fender bender – can force you to deal with police reports, insurance claims, towing, and days or even weeks of unpaid down time while your car is in the shop.
- Speeding Does Not Actually Save Time: University of Minnesota research on millions of trips revealed that driving above the speed limit on roads over 45 mph saves an average of only 54 seconds per day over a typical 28-mile trip. The tiny fraction of time “saved” is lost the moment you hit a red light, encounter traffic, or get pulled over.
Sliding Door Hazards
- Vehicles equipped with driver-controlled sliding doors have become a popular and welcomed feature for TLC vehicles, primarily because they prevent passengers from opening doors into passing bicyclists. Still, drivers should exercise caution when opening and closing sliding doors.
- Drivers opening sliding doors should be visually watching to confirm passengers have either exited or entered the vehicle prior to closing the slider. This will reduce the number of claims where passengers say they were injured from the sliding door.
Bertram Merling is the Loss Control Coordinator for Hereford Insurance Company. He welcomes your questions and comments, and can be reached at 718.361.9191 ext. 7235, or via email at
