Winter is right around the corner–do you know what to do if your vehicle gets stuck while you’re driving in snow or other wintry weather? Today, our Bucks County severe injury lawyer is here to give you some tips:
- Remain calm – When you’re in a stressful and difficult situation, it’s important to stay level-headed so that you can make the appropriate decisions and avoid getting yourself into more trouble. Whether you’re by yourself or with someone else, try your best not to let panic get the best of you.
- Alert the authorities ASAP – Even if you suspect that you’ll be able to free your vehicle on your own, you should still call 911 as soon as possible just in case something goes awry. When you do, first inform them where you are. If you aren’t sure, use your phone or GPS to pinpoint your exact location. Next, let them know how much food and water are available to you, how much gas is in your vehicle, how many passengers are with you, and any other necessary information.
- Stay with your vehicle – If you are stuck for a long period of time, you may be tempted to leave your vehicle to try to find help; however, this is not a good idea unless there is a building in sight where you know you can take shelter. If you venture far from your vehicle, you could end up losing track of it, especially if it is snowing heavily. Therefore, your best plan of action is to stay put and tie a bright (ideally, red) piece of fabric to your antenna or door handle to signal that you need help.
- Use gas wisely – In order to stay warm while waiting to be rescued, you’ll want to turn your vehicle on and run the heat every once in a while. Just keep in mind how much gas is left in the tank! If you have a lot, you can run the engine for ten minutes about once an hour. If you don’t have much gas, only turn the car on once or twice per day for ten minutes. Whenever you run the vehicle, you should crack a window and clear the exhaust pipe periodically to reduce your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Take extra measures to keep warm – In between running the heat, you’ll need to be resourceful in order to stay warm. Collect all of the paper items in the vehicle, including newspapers, napkins, and roadmaps, and place them under your clothing to provide insulation. If there are other people with you, huddle together to take advantage of body heat.
In the event that you find yourself stranded in your vehicle this winter, taking these steps will help you stay safe until help arrives.
Call the Heslin Law Firm for Severe Injury Cases
Aside from the chance of getting stuck in a snowstorm, there are many other dangers that come with winter. In many cases, wintertime accidents are caused by other parties. If you are the victim of such an incident, contact our reputable severe injury attorney in Bucks County for assistance. When you do so, we’ll help you file your case and work tirelessly to seek justice.
To schedule a free consultation with our Bucks County lawyer who has years of experience in settling severe injury cases, call (215) 332-0300 today. And if you’d like to learn how to minimize your risk of vehicle-wildlife collisions, be sure to check out last week’s blog post. You’ll see why we’re the severe injury attorney Bucks County has turned to for decades!