Protect Yourself

Happy—and Safe!—Holidays: Five Tips For Disaster-Free Festivities 
For many, the holidays mean friends, family, and traditions. Some traditions, though, can lead to accidents or injuries. Taking a few simple steps now may help save you the hassle and cost of dealing with some common seasonal hazards. 

Start with these five safety tips:

1. Protect Your Identity. The hustle and bustle of the holidays creates the perfect opportunity for theft of your credit card information.
To help protect yourself, shop at reputable stores and check your credit card statements regularly. If you find anything unusual, report it to your credit card company immediately.
 
Also take advantage of ProtectMyID®, a AAA Member benefit, to detect and resolve identity threats with Dark Web Surveillance, alerts, day or night Fraud Resolution Support, and more.

2. Burglar-Proof Your Home. In 2017, burglaries cost an estimated $3.4 billion in property losses. The average dollar loss per offense was nearly $2,500, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report.

If you’re traveling over the holidays, arrange to have your mail held by the post office and stop newspaper deliveries, use automatic timers to turn lights on and off, and ask a dependable neighbor to keep an eye on the house.

Also consider making your home more secure with dead-bolt locks and burglar alarms. An added benefit: most insurers provide discounts for devices that make a home safer.

3. Be Fire Safe. Cooking equipment causes 47% of home fires, with Thanksgiving and Christmas being the peak days for these fires, according to national averages reported by the National Fire Protection Association. 

The NFPA also reported that December is the peak time of year for home candle fires, as well as the second highest month for electrical fires.

Never use real candles on or near a Christmas tree. If you decorate with electric lights, check the wires for any fraying or wear and unplug the lights if no one is in the room. If you have a real Christmas tree, water it daily to prevent fire. 

If you plan to use a turkey fryer for your holiday meal, be sure to read and follow the fryer instructions carefully, and never deep fry a frozen turkey (They explode.) or leave a stove unattended.

4. Be a Responsible Party Host. Throwing a holiday bash? Party hosts who serve alcohol at their gatherings could be held liable for injuries to a third party caused by an intoxicated guest.

Be a responsible host and encourage guests to pick a designated driver. If guests drink too much or seem too tired to drive home, call a car, arrange a ride with a sober guest or have them sleep at your home.

5. Drive Safely—Especially in Winter Conditions. Safe driving and well-maintained vehicles take on even greater importance in winter.

Give yourself enough time to arrive at your destination, and never rush in rainy, snowy or icy conditions. Obey speed limits and avoid all distractions while behind the wheel. Also make sure your auto insurance coverage is adequate for your needs. 

Start these five new (easy!) holiday traditions this year and you should enjoy happier—(safer!)—holidays for many years to come.

The content of this article is for informational purposes only. AAA does not guarantee any particular outcome.