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.

Surveillance footage can be one of the most important forms of evidence in a hit-and-run, but it may not be saved for long. Businesses, apartment buildings, gas stations, parking lots, homes, and dashcams may capture useful footage. Ask for preservation quickly and document who you contacted, when you contacted them, and what they said.

Do not assume a partial license plate is useless. Write it down immediately and pair it with every detail you remember: vehicle color, make, model, body damage, bumper stickers, direction of travel, intersection, time, and witness information. Police, insurance investigators, or attorneys may be able to combine those details with camera footage or other evidence.

A police report can document the time, location, vehicle description, injuries, witnesses, and the fact that the other driver left the scene. California DMV guidance also requires certain accident reporting when someone is injured, killed, or property damage exceeds the reporting threshold. In a hit-and-run, the police report can become a key piece of the insurance and evidence record.