Risk Management Magazine

A few years ago, my family and I drove from North Carolina to Florida to visit my in-laws for the holidays. As we made the roughly 600-mile, 10-hour trip, I was reminded how important it is that people share the road courteously and responsibly.

Driving is a challenging task. Traffic, road construction, rain, kids making noise, the radio and ringing cellphones can all be very distracting. Couple that with slick wintry roads, black ice, snow and sleet and you’ve added a whole new element to driving.

Road trips can be dangerous, so I always take the steps I think are necessary to be prepared. I plan ahead, check my route on the map and make sure my vehicle is serviced and ready to go. However, I could never have anticipated what happened to my family on a Sunday in Florida.