Ever been stuck on the road? (Thank goodness for cell phones!)
What if you were stuck for a while…would you have what you need in the car with you if the weather was bad?
Uh, that would be a big fat NO for me, with the exception of a spare tire. And food. I could probably cobble a sad little ensemble of stray food from the car if I had to – not that anyone would want to eat that! But never say never, I saw Cujo.
Okay, back to things we are supposed to have in our cars – apparently, I am not alone. Most of us don’t carry what we might need.
What emergency supplies should we keep in our cars?
According to State Farm:
- Jumper cables
- Spare tire
- Hazard triangle/road flares
- Flashlight
- First aid kit
- Water
- Blanket
My two cents on what moms should add to that:
- A couple of granola bars; and,
- If your kids are small, applesauce, diapers and wipes.
Advice for Drivers
What should you do if you get stranded in your car in winter weather?
- Pull off the highway (if possible), turn on your hazard lights and use a road flare or reflectors to signal attention.
- If you have a cell phone, call 911 and describe your location as precisely as possible. Follow any instructions from the dispatcher.
- Remain in your vehicle so help can find you.
- Run your vehicle’s engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm.
- Open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and clear snow from the exhaust pipe to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. (I wouldn’t have thought of this!)
- Don’t waste your vehicle’s battery power. Balance electrical energy needs – lights, heat and radio – with supply.
- At night, turn on an inside light when you run the engine so help can see you.
- Keep emergency supplies like road flares, a flashlight, blanket, windshield scraper, jumper cables, spare tire and a first aid kit in your vehicle or trunk at all times.
- Keep your fuel tank at least ½ full at all times during bad weather.
Win An Emergency Roadside Kit from State Farm
1. Like this blog post on Facebook.
2. Leave a comment telling me if you have ever been stuck in your car for a while. (I hope not – and, if so, I hope not with kids. But I know it happens!)
Must be 18 years of age to enter, contest limited to the continental United States. I will do a random drawing to select a winner. Contest ends 8 pm Friday, January 26, 2013.
Many thanks to Sate Farm for the tips and roadside kits. Check out State Farm’s website for information on prepping your car for driving in the winter and winter-weather driving tips.
Be safe, you guys! We’ve got some precious cargo.
Yes, I have been stranded. I got stuck in a ditch during a ice storm. With 1 child it was scary since I could not get a hold of my husband for 3 hours.
Holy crap, how scary! Did someone else come get you out? AAA? I think I would have a hard time with my game face in that kind of situation. Glad you were okay.
Ask Carla and Rusty about their 11 hour “drive” from Denver to Vail! – And yes, I get stuck all the time. And yes, I have all of the above (and then some) in my car.
That drive sounds epic. Glad you are prepared. Be safe!
Stranded once on the interstate when I was in college – a trucker picked me and my sister up and took us to the closest gas station!! No cell phones back then!!
My heart started to pound when I read a trucker picked us up. Glad he/she helped you. I can’t imagine driving without a phone. If ever it’s dead or I don’t have it, I am uneasy. And appropriately afraid of Murphy’s law.
Never been stranded. I hope to never be.
Let’s knock on some wood.
We (my 3 kids, one of their friends, and me) got stuck at a rest stop on our way back home from the beach a year ago. I ran over a large bolt or screw as I pulled in the rest stop.
That’s the worst. Crap from the road in your tire. And WITH kids, too. Oy.
Have not been stuck out in bad weather in a car in over 20 years. Try to avoid driving in bad weather since then.