Factsheet: Winter Driving

Winter Driving Factsheet Courtesy Federal Emergency Management Agency

The leading cause of death during winter Maintain at least a storms is transportation half tank of gas accidents. Preparing during the winter your vehicle for the season. winter season and knowing how to react if Plan long trips stranded or lost on the carefully. road are the keys to Listen to the radio or safe winter driving. call the state highway patrol for BEFORE the latest road  Have a mechanic conditions. Always check the following items on travel during daylight and, if possible, your car. take at least one other person1. If  Battery you must go out during a winter  Antifreeze storm, use public transportation.  Wipers and windshield washer fluid Dress warmly.  Ignition system Wear layers of loose-fitting, layered,  Thermostat lightweight clothing.  Lights  Flashing hazard lights Carry food and water.  Exhaust system Store a supply of high energy  Heater "munchies" and several bottles of  Brakes water. Contact your local emergency  Defroster management office or American Red  Oil level (if necessary, replace Cross chapter for more information existing oil with a winter grade on winter driving. oil or the SAE 10w/30 weight variety) Winter Car Kit  Keep these items in your car: Install good winter tires.  Flashlights with extra batteries Make sure the tires have adequate  First aid kit with pocket knife tread. All-weather radials are usually  Necessary medications adequate for most winter conditions.  Several blankets However, some jurisdictions require  Sleeping bags that to drive on their roads, vehicles  Extra newspapers for insulation must be equipped with chains or  Plastic bags (for sanitation) snow tires with studs.  Matches  Extra set of mittens, socks, and Keep a windshield scraper and a wool cap small broom for ice and snow  Rain gear and extra clothes removal.  Small sack of sand for  Do minor exercises to keep up generating traction under circulation. wheels  Clap hands and move arms and  Small shovel legs occasionally. Try not to  Small tools (pliers, wrench, stay in one position for too long. screwdriver) If more than one person is in  Booster cables the car, take turns sleeping.  Set of tire chains or traction  For warmth, huddle together. mats  Use newspapers, maps, and  Cards, games, and puzzles even the removable car mats  Brightly colored cloth to use as for added insulation. a flag  Canned fruit and nuts Avoid overexertion.  Nonelectric can opener Cold weather puts an added strain  Bottled water on the heart. Unaccustomed exercise such as shoveling snow or DURING pushing a car can bring on a heart If you are trapped in a blizzard … attack or make other medical  Stay in the car. conditions worse. Be aware of Do not leave the car to search symptoms of dehydration. for assistance unless help is visible within 100 yards. You Wind Chill may become disoriented and "Wind chill" is a calculation of how lost is blowing and drifting cold it feels outside when the effects snow. of temperature and wind speed are  Display a trouble sign. combined. A strong wind combined Hang a brightly colored cloth on with a temperature of just below the radio antenna and raise the freezing can have the same effect as hood. a still air temperature about 35  Occasionally run engine to keep degrees colder. warm. Turn on the car's engine for Winter Storm Watches and about 10 minutes each hour. Warnings Run the heater when the car is A winter storm watch indicates that running. Also, turn on the car's severe winter weather may affect dome light when the car is your area. A winter storm warning running. indicates that severe winter weather  Beware of carbon monoxide conditions are definitely on the way. poisoning. Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and open a A blizzard warning means that large downwind window slightly for amounts of falling or blowing snow and sustained winds of at least 35 miles per hour ventilation. are expected for several hours.  Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite and Hypothermia Frostbite is a severe reaction to cold exposure that can permanently damage its victims. A loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance in fingers, toes, or nose and ear lobes are symptoms of frostbite.

Hypothermia is a condition brought on when the body temperature drops to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, slow speech, memory lapses, frequent stumbling, drowsiness, and exhaustion.

If frostbite or hypothermia is suspected, begin warming the person slowly and seek immediate medical assistance. Warm the person's trunk first. Use your own body heat to help. Arms and legs should be warmed last because stimulation of the limbs can drive cold blood toward the heart and lead to heart failure.

Put person in dry clothing and wrap their entire body in a blanket. Never give a frostbite or hypothermia victim something with caffeine in it (like coffee or tea) or alcohol. Caffeine, a stimulant, can cause the heart to beat faster and hasten the effects the cold has on the body. Alcohol, a depressant, can slow the heart and also hasten the ill effects of cold body temperatures.

This is for public informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional care or advice.