One thing that the holidays usually bring is travel. Families want to celebrate the holidays with loved ones and, this year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling is still happening. The difference right now is that a LOT more people are choosing to drive rather than fly, according to CNN. People feel better making these trips in the comfort of their vehicle simply because they see it as safer than air travel; in their own space with other members of their family, versus in a metal tube with hundreds of unknown people 35,000 feet in the air.

While Holiday travel during a pandemic is a personal choice (regardless of the method of travel), as far as the risk of COVID-19, there is another risk– and that is the health of their vehicle.

In the past, it was a common practice for consumers planning long-distance travel to have their vehicle checked out and serviced before traveling. Some vehicle owners still continue that tradition. However, while the pandemic continues, for many families, anything other than routine maintenance – especially those repairs that could put their vehicles out of commission for indeterminate amounts of time – may be put off with the thought process perhaps being, "We'll be alright and get that repair done when we return."

Because of this, there will probably be a larger percentage of potentially unsafe vehicles on the road this Holiday season. While COVID-19 is absolutely a risk that people should consider when deciding to travel, they should also consider the safety of their vehicle if planning a road trip instead. Road safety is just as important – if not more so – during the Holidays because of the added number of road travelers. Now is a good time to reach out to your service customers and get them in for a Holiday vehicle safety check and any recalls that you have parts availability to complete.

Everyone should be able to enjoy the holidays with their families -- but 2020 has been filled with party spoilers. Don't let your customers end up in a position where their holiday travels are ruined by car trouble, much less a pandemic. This double whammy safety concern should be top of mind for everyone. To protect consumers and their families safety should always be first. Anybody choosing to drive versus fly out of the concern of a pandemic should be equally concerned about the safety of their vehicle.

Have a great holiday season and my hope is that everyone stays safe!