Dealing With Increased Traffic Around Hard Rock Stadium

FAST FACTS

• Miami drivers spend approximately 132 extra hours driving each year thanks to congested traffic.
• Tuesday mornings tend to be the most congested, while Thursday and Friday evenings rival each other for extra time needed to travel.
• In 2008, congestion level was at 19% compared to 30% in 2016.

Driving through Miami can be difficult enough. The gorgeous city is a draw for tourists and snowbirds. When you add this to the local drivers, the increased number of people on the road can lead to more congestion than normal. Travel near Hard Rock Stadium when the Dolphins are playing, and you soon get the picture of exactly what bumper-to-bumper traffic looks like.

It can be easy to get frustrated when vehicles around you are moving at a crawl. As car accident lawyers in Miami, we know if you don’t keep your cool, you are increasing your risk of being involved in a collision. Here are some tips to help you get through the congestion without losing your sanity or your good health.

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1. Give Yourself Extra Time

There is literally nothing you are going to be able to do to make the vehicle in front of you go any faster. This means that if you leave on time, or even late, you won’t get where you are going when you need to.

Give yourself extra time to arrive at your destination. You’re going to be a lot less stressed when you have this cushion of time. You can sit back and take it easy knowing that no matter what happens with the traffic, you aren’t going to be late.

How much extra time? That depends. If you’ve gotten stuck in traffic and been late, how early you should leave is easy to figure out. If you’re being proactive, it can be a tough call. Start with 15 or 20 minutes, and adjust from there.

2. Try Alternate Routes

You can always take another route to work or school. You may be thinking it’s not worth it to go so far out of your way. That may be very true, but is it better than getting frustrated sitting in traffic? People who drive tend to feel less anxious if they are constantly moving.

So yes, your alternate route may be inconvenient or out of the way, but if it means that you aren’t getting stuck sitting in rush hour or a traffic jam, the small inconvenience could be worth it. As an added benefit, taking an alternate route will toss your brain out of that autopilot feeling we all get when we drive the same path every day.

3. Don’t Overreact

If we’re honest, we’ve all been frustrated a time or two while driving. The car in front of you is moving too slowly. The car next to you failed to merge until the last minute and wants to get in front of you. You sit in congestion and finally make it through, only to find that there was really no good reason for it. It’s easy to get angry when you drive. Try not to.

If you feel yourself getting angry, take several slow, deep breaths. Analyze your current situation, realizing you have little control. Keep in mind that the drivers around you are feeling the same way.

A few cleansing breaths and a switch in your mindset will help you feel less anxious. If you think you are going to be late to work, call in and let someone know. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you feel better if you don’t feel as if you’re playing a game with the clock.

4. Stay Aware

One of the most dangerous things you can do in traffic is to get distracted. You may think that driving through congestion gives you time to eat your lunch, drink your coffee, touch up your makeup, make a phone call, or any number of things that people tend to do behind the wheel.

Distracted driving is dangerous, no matter how slowly you’re moving. Keep your attention focused on the task at hand. All of those things you feel like doing to pass the time can wait. If you take your eyes off the road, you are going to be unprepared for when the car in front of you slams on its brakes or the vehicle coming up on your left decides to cut you off.

5. Use Public Transportation

Some of us can’t drive in rush hour or congested traffic. We can read all the tips in the world and just can’t get through the line of cars without losing our cool. If this is true for you, take public transportation. Letting someone else do the driving might add time to your commute, but it also takes the frustration away from you.

When you take a bus, taxi, or Uber, you can do other things since you’re the passenger and not the driver. You’ll need to leave a bit early so that you still get to work on time, but the small amount of added time could be worth your mental health and physical safety.

Our Miami Car Accident Lawyers Are Just a Phone Call Away

You have no control over traffic and the sooner you let realize that, you’ll be better off. You do have control over what time you leave, what route you take, and what you do when you’re behind the wheel. Use the tips you’ve just read the next time you think you may hit congestion, especially while driving around Hard Rock Stadium. You may be surprised at how much more relaxing your drive is.

If you are injured in an accident, you need a car accident lawyer in Miami. We invite you to reach out to our office to schedule a free case evaluation. You deserve to be compensated for your losses and we are here to ensure it happens. Call our team today to discover more about what expert legal representation can do for you.