Welcome back to The Self Sufficient Citizen where I talk about homemaking, homesteading, minimalism and self-reliance. Today is the fourth day of Blogmas 2022. For this post I am taking a more serious tone as the snow piles up in every county around me. Where I live we get snow almost every winter. Most people give no thought to that since “it’s just snow”. But that snow is deadly especially in a car.
There are about 156,164 wrecks caused by winter conditions a year in America. On average there are 1800 deaths caused by car wrecks during the winter each year (FHWA Operations (dot.gov)). I live in a small city and work in a few cities over, so I travel rural roads year-round. This means I drive in all-weather conditions putting me at risk to be one of those statistics. Driving too fast is the main cause of wrecks most sources will agree on. Although I do not drive fast during the winter, I am all too aware I am still at risk.
Winter Survival is not all About Driving Safe.
Something people overlook about winter is what would happen if they got into a wreck, or their car broke down and they cannot call for help. Bad weather can block cell service. Maybe you don’t have your phone at all. What do you do if you’re down a stretch of road without a house in 10 miles of you?
According to the CDC, death rates of hypothermia in rural america increased to .40% of 100,000 for women in 2020. Think about if your car is broken down and can’t produce heat as well as you can’t reach out to Emergency services you are at risk to be one of those statistics. But, however, all is not lost if this happens to you. There are ways to prepare so if the unthinkable happens to you or your family, survival is possible.
Hypothermia is defined by Mayo Clinic as “…a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature.”(Hypothermia – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic). So if you can keep yourself warm until help arrives you have a good chance at surviving.
Things I Recommend Having in your Car During Winter.
- Coat, gloves, hat, winter boots. Even if you aren’t wearing them now always carry them in the car.
- Snow scraper
- Good tires (studded or chains)
- Blankets/sleeping bag
- Flares
- Bright material (to tie to door or antenna) and or cones to place near car.
- Collapsible Shovel (I had to use mine to dig out of a snow berm left by a plow this year!)
- Chemical hand warmers
- Crank charging radio
- Paper maps/compass
- Car charger for phone and battery bank (I recommend bringing the charging bank inside when you’re not in the car to prevent it from losing charge in the cold)
- Tow strap
- Car Jumpers
- First aid kit
- Bag of sand or non-clumping cat litter (traction mats will work too)
- 72 hour food kit (with water)
- Change of clothes (including extra socks).
Precautions to take before driving
- Use snow scraper on car and have complete visibility through each window and mirror.
- Check your tires are full of air and there is no snow built up in wheel well.
- Good windshield wipers that clear without streaks.
- Full windshield fluid rated for below freezing.
- No distractions/insure you can focus while driving.
- Good battery (have it tested before winter).
- Clean your headlights and have them on- they make you visible to other drivers even during the day preventing wrecks.
If you get into a wreck/car break down
- Do not stray from car. It is easy to lose visibility of car during winter storms.
- Signal for help, cones, tie bright material to antenna or handle and if it isn’t snowing lift hood.
- Ensure exhaust pipe is clear and run car 10 min on 30-45 off. For warmth and charging battery.
- Remember your emergency lights will drain your battery.
- Call a tow truck if you can not use shovel, litter or traction mat to get out.
- Call EMS if hurt.
- Keep warm.
Other Resources
Winter Car Survival Tips When Stranded in the Cold | The Family Handyman
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