As an attorney that focuses his practice on helping people injured in car accidents, I think a lot about safety behind the wheel – especially around the holidays when drunk driving accidents are more prevalent, and people are more distracted as they rush through the year-end hustle and bustle. So what could be a better gift than those designed to prevent a car accident and protect your loved ones?
For the first time ever, here is our own Michigan Auto Law holiday gift guide:
1. Emergency kit: If you don’t have time to put together your own kit, there are several available online, like this 42-piece emergency road assistance kit by AAA. It’s complete with flashlight, duct tape, first aid supplies, jumper cables and more. Here’s my blog post on how to make your own emergency driving car kit.
2. Pocket breathalyzer: Please note, a pocket breathalyzer isn’t to promote getting away with driving after you’ve been drinking. It’s to help you understand that even driving after one or two beers can spike your BAC and make it dangerous – and illegal to drive. I always say, buzzed driving is drunk driving. This device, if used correctly, could help prevent drunk driving crashes. Here’s a popular pocket breathalyzer from Amazon.
3. Devices and apps to stop texting while driving: There are many of them, and they make great gifts for teens, which is the age group that’s most likely to text and drive. Here’s a list of apps to stop texting while driving. And here’s a popular device called the OrigoSafe.
4. Car emergency surviving safety hammer: A helpful survival tool for a traffic emergency. Here’s a popular safety hammer with a cutter that’s made of steel, which makes it reliable. The plastic handle can increase friction and avoid sliding when operation.
5. Seat belt cutter/windshield breaker emergency escape tool: No one wants to think of being stuck in your car in a winter snowstorm or even under water. But this emergency escape tool is strong enough to slice through a seat belt that’s holding you in, or break through the windshield.
