Winter Driving Safety

So, you live in or near a metropolitan area, and you think you’re ready for winter driving. You’ve had the car coolant fluid changed, wiper fluid topped off and the snow tires put on, but are you really ready?

I spent 30 years in United States Army Aviation-long enough to have been exposed to many tragic and unnecessary losses of Army Aviation aircrew members. In some cases, aircrew members perished after suffering normally non-life threatening injuries within close proximity to people, homes, roads and businesses. The compounding factor often causing the fatality was exposure to harsh weather elements.

The Army’s reaction to these mounting losses was a profound change to the Life Support Equipment (LSE) carried by Army rotary wing aircrews. Gone were the days of protesting the use of LSE with comments such as, “But I’m only flying locally today. Life support equipment just won’t be necessary”. It was initially a challenge to educate aircrew members in the wisdom of always carrying life support equipment, not unlike the education process it took to get the public to wear automobile seatbelts.

While our U.S. military aircrew members are now better protected through appropriate LSE aboard their aircraft, it is the American public that still needs to learn some lessons about how harsh driving in cold weather may be. One recent lesson is gleaned from the tragic death of a very successful software designer who died just one mile from his stalled car in Oregon. His wife and two young daughters waited in the car while he attempted to seek help. This story is replete with numerous problems that compounded the severity of the incident and ultimately cost him his life. Poor maps, poor road markings, inadequate survival tools, bureaucratic failures and a lack of communications all conspired against this man to seal his fate.

Nature can be cruel and treats everyone the same. It doesn’t discriminate. In order to begin a survival dialogue, I offer just a few simple preparedness tips and items that are inexpensive and effective. It’s worth noting that folks up in the Northern-most portions of our country ALWAYS carry some variation of the following:

• Always carry a coat and a pair of boots for each person who might be an occupant of the car. All of you know the wisdom in this preventative action. You’ve got a nearly empty trunk. What are you using that space for that is more important than survival?
• Candles, matches, or other fire sources are a good preventative measure. A candle inside your stalled car with the window cracked open for ventilation might provide all the heat you need for some time. Be even more serious about this if you drive in the country. Don’t depend only on your car heater. A tank of gas only goes so far. Car engines quit and cannot be restarted every day.
• Pack a small bag of food that will not freeze. Nature or Sports Bars. Dried fruits. Most sports stores sell several kinds of survival-type foods. Have anywhere from one days supply to as many days as you might normally drive in your car. Remember, the software designer was trapped in his car for four days with his wife and two daughters.
• Try to take some bottled water with you. Don’t leave it in the truck for days where it can freeze. Rather, make this the last thing you put into your car before you drive away.
• Take along some form of communication. How would you feel if your teen-age daughter had a flat tire late at night and didn’t have a cell phone? The answer is obvious. Always carry a fully charged cell phone if at all possible. If you don’t have a cell phone (or even if you do) make sure to tell someone where you’re going, when you anticipate arriving at your destination and that you’ll call them when you arrive. This is cheap life insurance and many of us already practice this with our driving teenagers.

Of course the list of prudent items to pack is as variable as the number of persons reading this message. It really doesn’t matter what you carry – as much as the fact that you have thought through what you should carry. The important thing to remember is that winter offers potential challenges far greater than whether to have turkey or ham for Christmas dinner. It also offers challenges that could impact upon you for the rest of your life.

Remember, you can’t eat any of the food or enjoy any of the warmth and comfort of all of the things you left behind. Only those items you bring along can save the day.

Keep safe in your winter travels.

Plan.  Provide.  Protect…The Sovereign Deed Promise™