Have you been on the roads lately?

It looks like the summer travel season is in full bloom.

Golly, there are a lot of drivers, well, um … driving places, and in a hurry, too.

So I think it’s time for another PSA to show how to be SAFE while driving.

I know. I know.

You know.

You’ve heard it before.

But do you do the things you’re supposed to do?

Or …

Do you not do the things you’re not supposed to do?

Yeah.

I thought so.

Well, I’m one of those drivers you may inadvertently swerve into, and because I’m a Highly Sensitive Person, I don’t react well to surprises like that.

I’m apt to either overreact or freeze. Both of which will get both of us killed.

Or seriously late.

So here are some tips for YOU to follow as you head out for your family vacation.

I’m already a safe driver, unless you count that overreacting/freeze response thing when I get startled while driving …

1. Don’t text while driving, even if you have a really big phone. One second of not paying attention at 65 miles per hour while driving is like 9 minutes of dog trouble while your anxious pup is left home alone.

2. Don’t fiddle with other gizmos in your car (GPS, sound system you’ve been meaning to figure out, electric seat controls, mirror ball, wet bar, whatever). Adjust, program, and familiarize yourself with all necessary components before you put your car into “drive” and step on the gas.

3. Eat before or after you get behind the wheel … not during. You know you’ll never let that French fry you dropped sit there. You must find it at maximum cruising speed, and it’s still warm.

4. Don’t let your critters crawl all over you. Sure, they want to. Yes, it’s cute. And it’s fun when it tickles. But it’s dangerous for everyone.

5. The rearview mirror is not for personal grooming. It’s for viewing what’s behind you, like traffic. Don’t use it to shave or put on make-up, look at yourself, or talk to yourself. It’s just a bad idea.

6. Avoid engaging in conversations that annoy, pester, or agitate you. If this means traveling alone and sending your family ahead via another form of transportation, so be it. At least everyone will be alive at the beginning of the vacation. An angry driver is an accident determined to happen.

7. Have a good idea of where you are going and how you plan to get there. If you know ahead of time that your GPS always takes you in the wrong direction, make sure you have plenty of time for side trips and backtracking. Make this part of the “adventure” rather than a source of stress. (See #6 about avoiding stress.)

8. Make sure that your vehicle is in tip-top shape. If you break down and cause a traffic jam on a major highway, the distress inside your car will be the least of your problems. Oh, and there’s the bodily harm issue (caused by any accidents from the breakdown and fights about the traffic jam). Just make sure you buy a new car before you travel.

9. Secure all bottles and beverages so they don’t spill or roll around. This is especially true for any open liquor bottles. There’s no excuse for wasting that kind of medicine.

10. Don’t drive to the point of exhaustion. Sure, you want to reach your destination as quickly as possible so you can relax (hahahahahaha) with your family, but a sleepy driver is a sloppy driver. What am I saying? You’ll most likely have your family in the car! You’ll be wide awake from all the bickering quality time. Plus, you’ll be thinking about all the work waiting for you when you return from your vacation. That’ll keep you up all night.

So, have fun as you drive to your vacation destination.

Just be safe so drivers like me can rest assured that drivers like you won’t swerve into me.

Because you know that if you aim your car at me, an accident will happen.

Because I’m a safe, but highly sensitive, driver.