If you were one of the hundreds of people on who spent this last Friday into Saturday stranded in your car, congratulations on making it out in one piece. For some, adequately prepared with a jug of water, stored food, a full tank of gas and a cell phone, the experience may have been harrowing and a colossal inconvenience but an adventure worth sharing in years to come. For others who ran out of gas before help came, who had no food or water in the car and who lacked adequate means of communicating with the outside world, it was a nightmare. Now that the worst is over, it might be time to look at how you can better weather a storm in your vehicle next time, if you must.
READ MORE: MOST DRIVERS AREN’T READY FOR SNOW, SAYS SURVEY
Here are a few tips to help ensure your safety, assist authorities in finding you, and to keep from going nuts when you’re stranded in a blizzard..
Stay in your car
Your car, even if it’s stuck, is your best source of shelter in a storm. Don’t leave your vehicle unless you know for certain or you can see that there is help nearby, especially if it’s dark. Snow-covered terrain can hide holes, sharp objects and other hazards which will injure you or worse if you fall.
Tie a flag on your antenna
It may be obvious to you that you’re stuck and need help, but emergency personnel don’t know immediately that your car isn’t abandoned and their priority will be people, not cars. A bandana or other object tied to your antenna lets them know without a doubt that someone is stranded and needs help. If there are more than one of you, take turns staying awake to keep an eye out for emergency responders.
PHOTOS: SNOWY CARS AROUND THE WORLD
Use your gas sparingly
It’s tempting to want to keep the engine running all the time, but even if you’re got a full tank, turn on the engine only long enough to get toasty once an hour for no longer than 20 minutes. Make sure your exhaust pipe is as clear of snow as possible, too, so the fumes don’t waft back into the car and make you sick, or even suffocate you.
Honk your horn to attract attention, but only when the engine is running.
It’s smart to sound your horn when you’re stranded – the old morse code signal of three long, three short is still recognized as “SOS” by most responders – but only honk and flick your lights when the engine is running, to conserve your battery.
If you have a cell phone, use it to pinpoint your location.
Use your GPS to determine your exact location for authorities, then notify them. It may be awhile before they can get to you, especially if the storm is still at its height, but when they search, they’ll know exactly where to look.
Insulate yourself
You can’t insulate a metal vehicle that isn’t designed to contain warmth, so wrap blankets, floor mats, the contents of your gym bag or anything else you can think of to slow down the heat leaving your body.
Don’t panic
Morale is one of your biggest assets in any emergency situation, despair the enemy. Keep your spirits up if you’re stranded with another person by talking about something that has nothing to do with your situation, whether it’s a movie you saw, a funny story you heard, or a song you both know. If you’re by yourself, tell yourself a joke, think of LOLCats, or do what you need to do rather than imagining yourself looking like Jack Nicholson at the end of “The Shining.”
