As America marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026, millions of travelers are rediscovering the Mother Road and mapping bucket-list drives from Chicago to Santa Monica. The centennial has put road trip safety back in the conversation for families planning their first long-haul journey in years. Mike Glisson has a particular reason to pay attention. Illinois is where the historic highway begins, and Edwardsville, where he lives, sits along one of its most celebrated stretches.
For more than 30 years, Glisson Law has worked with people whose lives changed in an instant because of a car crash. That vantage point has shaped how its founder thinks about the open road. “As Route 66 turns 100, people see it as a nostalgic journey across America,” Glisson said. “We see it as a reminder that every mile on the road deserves respect.”
Every crash is different. Still, decades of seeing what happens before and after collisions have revealed patterns worth sharing, lessons less about the law than about driver behavior and the small choices that often make the biggest difference.
Why the First Day of a Road Trip Carries the Most Risk
The opening hours of a long trip tend to be the most hazardous, and excitement is usually the cause. Travelers leave before sunrise, push to cover too many miles, and slide into vacation mode before the drive has settled into a rhythm. Confidence runs high. Caution runs thin.
That pattern surfaces again and again in the cases Glisson has handled. A driver eager to reach the next landmark treats the first stretch as something to power through rather than ease into. His takeaway after three decades is straightforward. The earliest hours of any trip deserve the sharpest focus, not the least.
How Fatigue Builds on Long Open Stretches
Tired driving rarely announces itself. Many crash victims never considered themselves fatigued until the moment something went wrong. Long, uninterrupted highway miles dull alertness in ways people tend to recognize only in hindsight.
The historic open runs of Route 66 are part of the road’s romance. Those same beautiful, empty miles can coax a driver into zoning out, eyes forward but attention drifting elsewhere. Fatigue ranks among the quieter contributors to serious wrecks, precisely because so few drivers catch it in themselves before it matters.
When Unfamiliar Roads and Small Distractions Collide
Familiar routes cause fewer problems than new ones. On home turf, a driver reads intersections and traffic patterns almost automatically. Strange roads demand constant interpretation: an unexpected merge, a sudden lane change, an exit that arrives faster than the map promised. A traveler who has spent days on rural two-lanes and then rolls into Los Angeles traffic faces an entirely different environment, and the adjustment is not always smooth.
Distraction sharpens that risk. A quick GPS adjustment, a photo of a roadside giant, a glance at restaurant options, a reply to one text. “Today’s road trips come with more distractions than ever, from phones to GPS to photos, and they all compete for attention at the exact moment you need it most,” Glisson said. Most of these moments begin with the same three words, just a second, and those seconds are where trouble starts.
Why the Mother Road Was Never Meant to Be Rushed
A surprising share of crashes happen when drivers feel behind schedule. Tight itineraries breed risky calls, the rushed pass, the rolling stop, the extra few miles per hour to claw back lost time. Route 66 was never built for that kind of hurry.
The road’s finest attractions are usually the unplanned ones, the diner that wasn’t on the list, the overlook nobody mentioned. “Most road trips are remembered for where you stopped, not how quickly you arrived,” Glisson said. “The safest journeys tend to follow that same pattern.” Building slack into a plan does more than lower stress; it removes the pressure that nudges careful people into split-second gambles.
The Road Trip Safety Habits That Outlast Experience
Preparation still counts, even in an age of well-engineered cars. Tires, brakes, lights, and battery health remain ordinary points of failure behind preventable crashes. Vehicles are safer than any generation before them, yet a worn tread or a dim headlight does not care how modern the dashboard looks.
The safest drivers, in Glisson’s experience, are not always the most seasoned. Years behind the wheel can breed complacency, the quiet assumption that attention is optional because the route is known. Defensive driving asks for the opposite: steady focus, dependable habits, and a measure of humility about what the road can produce. Confidence is not the same as care.
As Route 66 reaches its centennial and travelers from around the world retrace the path from Illinois to California, that distinction feels worth holding onto. After three decades of seeing the aftermath of serious crashes, the lesson Glisson returns to is simple. A trip is remembered for the moments along the way, not the speed of arrival. Whether the drive covers a few miles or an entire continent, patience, preparation, and attention remain the best company a driver can keep.
About the Author
Mike Glisson is the senior partner and founder of Glisson Law, an Illinois-based personal injury law firm that has represented individuals and families affected by serious motor vehicle accidents and wrongful death for more than 30 years. Based in the state where Historic Route 66 begins, the firm has spent decades helping crash victims throughout Illinois.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, or professional advice. The content reflects the experiences and observations of the author and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional guidance. Readers should exercise caution, follow applicable traffic laws, and make independent decisions regarding road safety and travel planning.
