7 Ways to Stay Safe When Driving During the Coronavirus Pandemic

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Coronavirus mainly spreads via person to person contact. You may also contract the virus by touching an infected surface or object, then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. Because of the severity of this pandemic and the fact that we're still learning about this virus, different states have taken drastic measures to curb the further spread. The primary aspect is to avoid close contact with anybody, and this has led to the imposure of quarantine in different states. In fact, most countries are advocating against interstate travel at the moment. If you have to travel to states like Wisconsin, Connecticut, New York, or New Jersey, among others, you'll have to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving. If you still wish to travel during this period, here are seven actionable travelling tips to help you and your loved ones stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Stay Home If You're Sick

First things first, if you're sick, it's vital that you simply stay home. This virus spreads between people just in the same way as the common cold. Therefore, if you've been experiencing any flu-like symptoms, for example, fever, runny nose, cough, and others, be sure to check with your local health center clinicians first. Describe your symptoms to them and be tested for COVID-19. That's not enough, still. Even if you test negative, but still feel sickly, consider postponing or even better canceling your travel plans for now. This is because if you're sick, it means that your immune system is weakened; hence you're more susceptible to the virus.

2. Visit the Local Government Website First

Governments and institutions are making daily adjustments to deal with this scary virus. Because of this, other new changes could have been put in place and may impact your travels. To avoid any nasty surprises, be sure to check the state's official website before departing from where you are. For example, you may not be able to travel to some municipalities in New Jersey, Newark, or nearby towns of Orange, East Orange, and Irvington if the municipalities suspect that your travel is nonessential.

3. Maintain Hygiene Always

The basic rule of thumb is to disinfect surfaces you get in contact with; before, during the journey, and after. This is especially crucial if you offered to give someone a lift or you're sharing your car. Here are some of the car's interior parts that you should regularly disinfect; the steering wheel, door handles, steering column stalks, the door frame, gearstick, elbow rests, handbrake, and seat position control. If you're traveling with a person with a disability and use a wheelchair-accessible van, be sure to regularly disinfect the wheelchairs, especially if you need to continually transfer the person to their seat when using the van. Optionally, you may also make new arrangements to get standardized mobility cars with lifts, which will automatically load the wheelchair to the vehicle.

4. Keep Your Hands Clean Throughout

Fortunately enough, the Coronavirus cannot get directly to your bloodstream through your skin. To reduce the chances of contracting it if you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth by mistake, ensure that you wash and disinfect your hands regularly.

5. Wear Facemasks

You need at least FFP3 class respirators to get the best level of protection from the Coronavirus. Nevertheless, you should still have at least the non-medical grade masks. While the non-medical grade masks may not protect you from the infection, they will at least prevent you from touching your face.

6. Fill up Safely

It's highly probable that you'll have to buy fuel during the journey. Still, you have to maintain hygiene even at the petrol stations. If possible, go for the self-service stations. However, if you're going to use the regular stations, be sure to maintain distance with the staff. For payments, it would be better to use the contactless payment methods, for example, payments with your mobile phone or card. If you have to use cash, sanitize them too.

7. Drive Safe

Your overall safety is also crucial. Don't forget about the necessary road safety standards. Be sure to maintain focus when navigating the intersections, pause and look twice before driving through intersections and stop signs.

We Will Get Through the Coronavirus Pandemic Together

We acknowledge that some of these safety measures are too drastic. Nevertheless, our health comes first. Drugs and vaccines will be made available, but before that, let's minimize the risks of spreading the infection by observing the important safety guidelines.