Vehicle Winter Survival Information
Winter weather survival includes being prepared for automobile accidents & weather induced delays. Accidents can be multi-vehicle, but frequently are one car accidents due to weather related road conditions, speeding and ice, and reduced visibility. Being prepared for winter conditions can make the difference between life and death if you slide off the road on a country highway.
Stay in your car, truck, or minivan.
Run the engine at 10 minute intervals for heat.
Turn on the dome light at night, but only when running the engine.
Maintain proper ventilation by making sure the exhaust pipe is not plugged.
Leave the windows open slightly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Make yourself visible to rescuers. Tie a bright cloth to your antenna or door
If you slide off the road and can walk/climb; tie markers to any highway signs that are close or use highway flares or emergency road reflectors.
[A vehicle in the snow quickly becomes invisible unless you make an effort to be seen]
If you believe you are going to be stranded for a significant period of time in cold weather, place the emergency space blankets over the windows of your vehicle to reflect body heat and other heat back into the car. Most of the initial heat loss will be through the windows.
Your car windows will probably frost over on the inside due to condensation from breathing and water produced by the alcohol stove, if you are using one.
DO NOT leave your vehicle unless you can SEE a building to evacuate to, or it is unsafe to remain in your vehicle.
If you are in an isolated area and there may be an air search, spread out the tarp on the ground outside to make you more visible from the air.
If you need shelter, use rope and the tarp to make a tent. If you leave your vehicle to go cross country or down the road, leave a note in the vehicle so rescuers know which way to proceed.
You can tape paper or something dark to the sides of your glasses to provide protection there as well. It is very easy to get a "sunburn on your eyes" when traveling in bright snow conditions.
If you leave your vehicle in white-out conditions, tie one end of your 100’ cord to the car before leaving. It’s very easy to become disoriented in a white-out.
Know the symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite. Be sure to wear a wool cap or other insulating hat to prevent heat loss. Be particularly careful with children, who aren’t as aware of the danger they may be in or their body symptoms.
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