>> ALL RIGHT SO LET’S PICTURE THIS. IF YOU WERE TO FLASHBACK THE
2019 EARLY 2020, REMEMBER THAT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKED AT
FOURTH OF JULY AND PROBABLY HAD
A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE BECAUSE
IT ACTUALLY LANDS ON A SATURDAY
THIS YEAR.
>> THE DATE SURROUNDING THE
FOURTH OF JULY ARE TYPICALLY
THE BUSIEST TRAVEL DAYS OF THE
YEAR.
DATA INDICATES AMERICANS ARE
PLANNING TO CELEBRATE
INDEPENDENCE DAY CLOSER TO HOME
THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE
PANDEMIC.
>> THERE STILL A GOOD
PPERCENTAGE OF SOMETHING
PLANNING TO HIT THE ROAD.
I RECENTLY TALKED ABOUT THE
RISE OF ROAD TRIPS AND WHAT HE
CALLS HOMECATIONS.
>> WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR MAY
BE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TRIPS
PLANNED AS HE PLANS THEM BACK
IN MAY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD
BE DOING TO STAY SAFE?
>> YOU KNOW, AS WE COME UP IN
THE LONG JULY 4 HOLIDAY WEEKEND
AND WILL LOOK A LITTLE BIT
DIFFERENT THIS YEAR FOR
TRAVELERS.
A RECENT SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY
FARMERS INSURANCE FOUND THAT
3/5 PEOPLE WILL BE TRAVELING BY
CAR THIS SUMMER AND 74 PERCENT
OF THEM ARE STAYING WITHIN 500
MILES.
SO IT IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE A
LOT OF ROAD TRIPS THIS SUMMER
AND THE ROADS ARE GOING TO BE
BUSY.
THE SURVEY ALSO FOUND THAT ONE
FOR THE PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING
AT TAKING CAMPING TRIPS THIS
SUMMER.
WE’VE ALREADY SEEN A SPIKE IN
RV SALES.
SOME PEOPLE ARE REALLY LOOKING
AT THE WIDE OPEN SPACES WHERE
THEY CAN MORE NATURALLY SOCIAL
DISTANCE.
>> I KNOW TRAFFIC WILL BE AN
ISSUE BECAUSE IT’S ALREADY AN
ISSUE HERE IN FLORIDA.
HOW WOULD YOU SUGGEST THAT WE
HANDLE AND PROPER PATIENTS FOR
THE ROADWAYS?
>> I DO HAVE A FEW SAFETY TIPS
FOR TRAVELERS AS THEY HIT THE
ROADS.
NUMBER ONE IS ALWAYS MAKE SURE
THAT YOU ARE GETTING THE
VEHILE CHECKUP BEFORE YOU GO.
TAKE IT IN OR DO IT YOURSELF
AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN
EMERGENCY KIT IN YOUR CAR AND
THAT IT’S ACCESSIBLE WHEN YOU
NEED IT.
MAKE SURE IT SUMMER YOU CAN
EASILY GRAB IT.
ALSO CHECK YOUR COVERAGE.
A LOT OF US KNOW WHAT OUR OWN
CAR INSURANCE COVERAGE IS BUT
IF YOU ARE RENTING A CAR OR
RENTING ONE OF THOSE
RECREATIONAL VEHICLES MAKE SURE
YOU CHECK WITH YOUR INSURANCE
AGENT AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT
YOU NEED IN TERMS OF COVERAGE
BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD.
AND THEN IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING A
FOCUSED DRIVER.
INTERESTINGLY, DATA FROM OUR
APP SHOWS THAT NONCALL PHONE
USE WHILE DRIVING IS ACTUALLY
UP BY NEARLY 50 PERCENT SINCE
PRE-CORONAVIRUS TIMES.
SO A LOT OF DISTRACTED DRIVING
OUT THERE.
I LIKE TO USE AN APP THAT
SILENCES MY PHONE IN MY TEXT
MESSAGES WHILE DRIVING.
JUST TO KEEP THE NO PHONE ZONE
IN THE CAR.
>> HOW SHOULD TRAVELERS BE
PLANNING AHEAD WITH THE
RESERVATION SYSTEMS THAT ARE
NOW IN PLACE?
>> THIS SUMMER PEOPLE HAVE TO
PLAN AHEAD LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
IT’S NOT JUST WITH ATTRACTIONS
BUT WITH MORE PEOPLE GOING
CAMPING, EVEN CAMPSITES WERE
USED TO JUST BE ABLE TO PULL IN
AND ASK IF THINGS ARE AVAILABLE
RECORDING RESERVATIONS AS WELL
SO EVERYTHING FROM STATE PARKS
AND NATIONAL PARKS AND MAJOR
ATTRACTIONS AND THEME PARKS OF
COURSE ARE REQUIRED
RESERVATIONS.
NOW IS THE TIME THAT EVEN IF
YOU’RE PLANNING ON TRAVELING
LATER IN THE SUMMER YOU NEED TO
GET ONLINE AND FIND OUT WHAT
THE REQUIREMENTS ARE AND MAKE
SURE THAT YOU’RE MAKING THOSE
RESERVATIONS WELL IN ADVANCE.
THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND
IS THAT A LOT OF ATTRACTIONS
AND EVEN STATE PARKS OR HAVING
LIMITATIONS ON THE NUMBER OF
VISITORS.
SO THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE
NUMBER OF RESERVATIONS THEY
WILL TAKE.
>> WE ARE ALSO HEARING ABOUT A
HOMECATIONS ISN’T IT THE SAME
AS A STAYCATION OR IS THAT
DIFFERENT?
>> HOMECATIONS IS A NEW TAKE N
STAYCATION.
SO MANY PEOPLE STILL STAYING AT
HOME DURING THESE TIMES PEOPLE
ARE REALLY LOOKING TO INVEST IN
THEIR OWN SPACES.
FARMERS INSURANCE FOUND THAT 64
PERCENT OF PEOPLE DURING THE
SPRINGTME WHEN WE ARE ALL HOME
AND BROKEN HOME IMPROVEMENT
PROJECTS.
SO IN LIEU OF TAKING THOSE
EXTENDED GETAWAYS PEOPLE ARE
PUTTING THAT MONEY INTO THEIR
OWN HOMES AND IN PARTICULAR
THEIR OUTDOOR SPACES.
CONSUMER SPENDING DATA SHOWS
THERE’S BEEN A SPIKE IN SALES
IN RECENT MONTHS AND THINGS
LIKE TRAMPOLINES AND
ABOVEGROUND AND INFLATABLE
POOLS AND GRILLS AND PATIO
FURNITURE TO A POINT WHERE A
LOT OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE
HAVING RETAILERS SAY WHY.
SO HOMECATIONS IS INVESTING IN
YOUR OWN SPACE TO SPEND TIME
AND REALLY KIND OF CREATE THAT
ESCAPE IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.
>> AND SHE ALSO SAYS IF WE’RE
DOING THE HOMECATIONS WHICH I
STILL THINK IT’S A MADE UP
WORD, YOU SHOULD TAKE LOTS OF
PICTURES BECAUSE WE TAKE LOTS
OF PICTURES WHEN WE ARE ON
VACATION NORMALLY.
SO DO NOT FORGET THIS YEAR.
I KNOW YOU WANT TO.
SHE ALSO STRESSED THE
IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY MEASURES
THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE LIKE
POTENTIAL GRILL FIRES AND
PUTTING UP A SAFETY NET AROUND
INFLATABLE AND INGROUND POOLS.
>> I CERTAINLY INVESTED IN THE
POOL FLOWS.
I THINK I’VE MORE POOL FLOAT
THEN PULL RIGHT NOW IN OUR
BACKYARD.
BUT YOU HAVE TO GET CREATIVE