Stranded In Winter? Here’s What You Need To Do

It’s bad enough to break down in the summer, but in the winter it can be dark, cold and dangerous.  You could be snowbound or stuck in really heavy traffic.  Don’t panic, being prepared is key if you’re stranded and need to spend the night in your car.

Emergency Kit

Make sure you have items in your car to keep you warm, safe and alert.  Have a blanket in there, a bottle of water and some cereal bars or some other type of food that won’t go gross or out of date in your car.  Also, have items like a torch and a portable phone charger so you can hopefully get in the safe and warm as quickly as possible.

Engine

If you can, keep the engine running.  It will keep you warm and will prevent the engine from freezing in harsh conditions.  Make sure your fuel is topped up and not running low before any long journeys. If you have to spend the night in your car, turn the engine on around every hour for a couple of minutes to stop everything freezing over or the battery going flat.

Heating

Only turn the heating or heated seats on when your engine is running, doing so continuously will leave the battery at risk of going flat.

Leaving The Car

Make sure you have a warning triangle or something hi-vis in your car so you’re visible to other road users.  Try and stop in a place that keeps the road as clear as possible, especially for emergency services. Always stand far away from the road behind the barriers if there is one.

Stranded

If your car is safe but is stranded in an unknown and remote location then stay put.  Lock the doors and wrap yourself up, the emergency services will be more likely to find you quicker in your vehicle.

Spending The Night

If you have to spend the night in your car, don’t panic.  That is what the tips above are for- you should have your emergency kit on you so you can wrap yourself up, lock the doors and try your best to sleep.  Remember trying to warm yourself and the car up a bit every hour by turning the engine and heating on. If it is snowing heavily, make sure the exhaust isn’t blocked before turning on the engine.

Hopefully, we’ll all have a winter where we stay safe and dry!