COVID-19 has disrupted lives all over the world at an astonishing pace and to an incredible degree. Suddenly, billions of people have had their freedom of movement restricted through orders from various levels of government to stay at home and shelter in place orders. Movement has been restricted to only essential activities and job roles. If you do need to leave your house, you need to think your trips through more thoroughly before you leave and take extra precautions.
Always Be Sure to Have a Destination in Mind
If you are leaving your living space during quarantine, you should only be doing so for a good reason. When you get in your car, you need to have a destination in mind. It helps to have a route in mind, too, so you are not on the road for any longer than you absolutely need to be and so you are not tempted to make any unnecessary pit stops along the way. When you do reach your destination, have a plan in mind to get in, do your business efficiently and get out as quickly as you can.
Watch Out for Pedestrians and Cyclists
Walking, running, cycling and other forms of outdoor exercise have experienced a quick surge in popularity. People who are largely confined to their homes are finding any way they can to get outside for even just a few minutes. Taking a walk or going for a ride on a bike are both easy ways to do this, so be on the lookout for pedestrians and cyclists while you are on the road.
Be Especially Careful to Obey Traffic Laws
With significantly fewer vehicles on the road during quarantine, law enforcement officers who are on patrol will have a much easier time spotting drivers who disobey traffic laws and issuing citations to them for their infractions. Pay close attention to the speed limit and to roadway signage so you can avoid becoming an easy mark for law enforcement.
Be on the Lookout for Emergency Vehicles and Emergency Personnel
You are probably used to looking and listening so you can detect emergency vehicles approaching you on the road and pull over to allow them safe passage, but it is more important to do that now than ever before. With people left more vulnerable in a number of ways than they have been in recent memory, the last thing you want to do is carelessly delay or derail emergency personnel’s trips to help whoever needs them.
Leave Your Home with Enough Provisions to Get to Your Destination Without Stopping Anywhere
When you leave your house, you need to think ahead and make your trip as quick and as seamless as it can be. Take enough food and water with you that you will not need to buy any before you get back home, and only stop if you desperately need to put fuel in your vehicle. Minimize your close contact with other people and places to reduce your risk and to reduce the risk you pose to everyone else who is around you.
Avoid Driving with Anyone Who Has Not Been Quarantining with You
For your own safety and everyone else’s, you should absolutely avoid driving with anyone who has not been in quarantine with you if you are at all able to do so. Do not put yourself and others at risk by allowing yourself to be in close quarters inside a vehicle with another person who has spent quarantine in a different environment than you have. This is a simple way you can help slow COVID-19’s spread and try to shorten the quarantine period for everyone.
