Families can reduce holiday travel accident risks by checking the vehicle before leaving, planning extra time, taking rest breaks, setting navigation before driving, keeping phones hands-free, securing loose items, and slowing down in traffic, construction zones, and unfamiliar areas.

After a holiday travel crash, move to safety and call 911 if anyone is injured or the roadway is blocked. Exchange driver, vehicle, and insurance information. Take photos of the vehicles, road conditions, signs, construction areas, debris, and injuries. Get witness names and seek medical care if symptoms appear.

Holiday weekends can be riskier because more people are traveling, drivers may be tired from long trips, traffic is heavier, construction zones may be active, and some drivers may be distracted or impaired. Parking lots, hotels, gas stations, parks, and event areas can also have more pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Families should document the vehicle, license plate, driver and insurance information, bike or scooter damage, helmet damage, road condition, traffic signs, lighting, visible injuries, witnesses, police report number, school incident report, and medical care. Video from nearby homes, businesses, buses, dash cams, or school cameras may also matter and should be preserved quickly.

Driveways are risky because drivers may be focused on cars in the street and may not notice a teen rider coming from the side. Parked cars, fences, landscaping, speed, and distractions can make visibility worse. Teen riders should slow down near driveways, scan for reversing vehicles, and try to make eye contact with drivers when possible.

California helmet rules depend on the device and setting, but CHP guidance explains that riders under 18 must wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet when riding an electric bicycle on a public roadway or bikeway. CHP's scooter guidance also identifies helmet requirements for riders under 18. Families should also check school and local city rules.