WASHINGTON — Before driving off for that late-summer road trip, a bit of planning can help prevent slowdowns along the way.
“On a family trip, our car broke down in the Mojave Desert,” said Jim Battagliese, WTOP’s director of traffic and transit operations. He was 8 years old when it happened.
“That was not a fun trip, to be sitting there in 120-degree heat waiting for a tow truck,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to wish that on anyone.”
Before a big trip in high heat, Battagliese says, take time to get the car checked out and top off its fluids.
“Make sure your hoses are in good condition — your radiator — make sure all of that is ready to go. You want to make sure your car is as ready as you are for the trip: well-hydrated [and] ready to go,” Battagliese advised.
Also, have an alternate route or two in mind in case the main one is clogged. If you’re using a GPS navigation unit, try not to hang out in the fast lane.
“Don’t clog the left lane,” he added. “If it says you need to make a left turn in 6 miles, you’ve got 5 miles before you have to get in that left lane.”
Another tip to speed your trip: Avoid cities during rush hour.
“Even cities that are not huge, such as Richmond, Virginia, [or] Trenton, New Jersey: They have rush hours, too.”
Summer construction zones are inevitable, but Battagliese says traffic would move more smoothly if everyone was nice about merging. “It seems like it’s very difficult for some people to actually let people merge in front of them, and it should come as second nature to us.”
If you’re the one who just merged into a long line of traffic, Battagliese suggests giving the driver behind you a little love.
He said, “A courteous wave is always nice to make somebody feel good because they just let you in front.”
