The wide-open spaces in Texas are enough to make any New Yorker in need of a bit of breathing room consider relocating.
With the cost of moving being so high these days, why not make it an adventure and road trip your way down South? Start by picking your route. The most direct one from Brooklyn is via I- 81 South, but you can adjust it to make sure you hit your must-stop-at tourist attractions cities, and sites along the way. When prepping for the trip, do some light research about the traffic laws in the states you’re going to drive through, just to be prepared.
If disaster strikes and a negligent driver ruins your road trip with a car accident, try to stay calm. As a New York driver, your personal injury protection (PIP) might cover some or all of your damages. If it doesn’t, you could file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver to get compensation for your injuries. That way, by the time you officially relocate to Texas, you should have your damages covered.
Personalizing and Prepping Your Road Trip Route from Brooklyn to Texas
The first thing to do when planning your relocation road trip to Texas from Brooklyn is to pick the route. While the most direct way to get to your destination is via I-81 South, you can tailor the route to your specifications. Once you’ve settled on the route, familiarize yourself with the traffic rules for the states you’ll pass through along the way.
Pick Your Route
When choosing the route you want to take, consider the sites you want to see on the trip. If getting there as quickly as possible is your top concern, you can head toward Texas via I-81 South. This is the most direct route from New York to Texas, taking you through New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas. You’ll pass almost directly through Washington,
D.C. along your way, which could be a potential stop in your trip if you want to rest a few hours in. This route also takes you through Tennessee on I-40, allowing for an easy stop in Nashville or Tennessee’s other popular tourist destination, Memphis.
If you want to avoid toll roads as much as possible, you can also plan for that. But remember that this might extend your trip, especially if you have to go far out of your way to avoid tolls.
If you head toward Texas via I-81, it’ll take you just over a day of non-stop driving to get there. The point of a road trip is to enjoy the journey itself, and driving for a full day isn’t safe.
Drowsing driving, especially at night and on unfamiliar roads, could lead to an accident, which would only ruin your relocation road trip.
Do Your Research
Every state has its own rules for speed limits, seat belt usage, and cell phone usage while driving. When you go on a road trip, especially across the country, you’ll certainly encounter roads
you’ve never driven on before. Making sure you follow all traffic laws from state to state is important, so do some research before you head out.
It doesn’t have to be extensive, but it may benefit you to look up the seat belt laws in the states you’re driving through. You should always wear a seat belt, and most states require seat belts for all front-seat passengers. However, some, like Arkansas, don’t require adult backseat passengers to wear seat belts, while others, like Maryland, mandate seat belt use for all passengers, no matter their position in the vehicle.
Maximum speed limit amounts might vary suddenly from state to state, and fines for speeding might be more or less expensive from state to state.
What might not be a primary offense worth pulling over a driver in Brooklyn might be in another city or state with different laws, so keep that in mind as you prep for your road trip to Texas.
It’s also worth noting which states use red-light or speed cameras as you plan your route. New York, like many other states, allows traffic cameras, often with some limitations. For example, red-light cameras are allowed statewide in Virginia, while speed cameras can only be at school crossing zones and highway work zones.
When Your Road Trip to Texas Get Ruined: Responding to a Car Wreck
If a negligent driver causes a car crash and ruins your road trip from Brooklyn to Texas, do not panic. Act as you would if you had gotten into an accident back home in New York, and start by getting the other driver’s information.
If you’re from New York, you’re covered by personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. So, you might not have to worry about the fault laws in the state where the accident happened so long as your insurance covers your injuries and damages.
New Jersey may be the only other no-fault state on your route to Texas, depending on which way you go. Unless you were injured in a no-fault state like New Jersey or New York, you would not have to meet any serious injury threshold to sue a negligent driver.
Though getting into an accident in an unfamiliar place is unsettling, try to remain calm as you exchange information with the other driver. Don’t try to resume the road trip, even if you feel physically okay. Instead, go to the hospital and call your Brooklyn car accident lawyer to start preparing your case.
The statute of limitations to file a car accident lawsuit might differ from what you expect. For example, the deadline to sue for injury in Brooklyn is three years, whereas the statute of limitations for injury claims in Tennessee, a possible stop along your route, is just one year. The filing deadline that applies to your case will depend on which state the accident happened in, so confirm yours right away. Then, turn your attention to preparing your compensation case against a negligent driver to get the damages you deserve.
