What to Do If You Get Stuck in Your Car During a Snowstorm
It is likely that in our climate-modified future, the weather will be much more erratic, with more storms, more droughts, and more drivers stuck in their cars in terrible snowstorms, as happened to hundreds of motorists in Virginia this week . It’s probably too late to do anything about climate change, but you can at least be prepared to be stuck in your car in a snow storm.
Prepare for the worst ahead of time
If you’re reading this after frantically googling while in your Hyundai due to a winter storm, this advice may annoy you, but you should have prepared before you left. Here’s how:
- Prepare your vehicle: Make sure your vehicle is in good condition with the right tires for winter driving conditions and a full tank of gas. Charge your mobile phone too.
- Change your plans if bad weather is expected : check the weather reports and treat upcoming blizzards with the respect they deserve.
- Prepare an emergency kit : If you were a first-class picker , you would have: parkas, blankets, sleeping bags, boots, mittens, hats, flares, medicines, tissues, first aid kit, mobile phone charger, ice. a scraper, food (energy bars or other high-calorie choice), water, a shovel (to dig out the car), cat litter (to melt the snow on the ground for grip), and jumper cables. Basically, it’s like collecting camping gear, but if you have the space in your trunk, you can keep most of it in your car at all times and be prepared for any disaster that might catch you off guard.
- Tell someone where you are going and the route you are taking before you leave.
What to do when you’re really stuck
- Don’t panic : as long as you don’t do anything extra, you should be able to get through this. As far as survival scenarios go, being trapped in a car in a snow storm isn’t all that bad. This, of course, is better than getting into a snowstorm without a car.
- Make sure your exhaust pipe isn’t clogged: When you first realize you’ve fallen into a trap, check your exhaust pipe to make sure it’s clean. You don’t want to die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Let the outside world know you’re in trouble by calling 911. Tie a brightly colored cloth or ribbon to an antenna or door. If the snow stops, raise the hood.
- Stay in your car: A car is a great survival shelter: A guy from Sweden lived in his car for two months and it looks like he didn’t even have food or water. Walking in a snowstorm is a bad idea. You will get lost, get cold, get wet, and possibly even hit another driver.
- Wrap: Put on as many layers of the clothes you have packed as possible. Make sure you wear a hat. The head is where the most heat is lost (at least that’s what my mom used to say).
- Create as little space as possible : If you have blankets or jackets, create a small “fortress” for yourself. A smaller room is easier to heat. You can try lining the windows with newspapers or discarded fast food bags that you never put away. Some experts even recommend packing a tealight or candle and lighting it up for some warmth.
- Run the car 10 minutes per hour . Experts recommend starting the car and turning on the heater, hazard warning lights, and dome light for about 10 minutes an hour. Just make sure you disable everything to avoid battery drain. Some suggest lowering the window slightly while the engine is running to avoid the possibility of carbon monoxide inhalation. In addition to the cold, the greatest danger is carbon monoxide.
- Don’t play on your phone: I know it’s boring to sit in a car for so long, but only use your cell phone to call emergency services. However, don’t be surprised if the authorities tell you to “sit still.” This is exactly what happened in Virginia. (Despite advice from Facebook experts, you shouldn’t change your voicemail to indicate where you are .)
- If you run out of water, drink melted snow . Car survival experts quoted by the New York Times and Washington Post note that you can hydrate your body a bit by drinking melted snow, but I like to think it will help. don’t get to that point. I’m an optimist.
Hence, it’s a waiting game. Sit with your arms folded under your armpits , hugging yourself to keep warm, do a little exercise to keep warm, and plan how you are going to tell the story of your harrowing adventure. If you’re lucky, you’ll be rescued soon, ideally by a St. Bernard with a barrel of brandy around his neck.