Traffic, on a typical day, is incredibly frustrating. But when it’s winter and the weather is less than ideal for smooth driving, a traffic jam can quickly go from annoyance to crisis. Back in January of 2022, an extensive case of gridlock on I-95 in Virginia left hundreds of drivers stuck on the highway for over 24 hours across a 50-mile stretch of road – without food, water, and extra supplies to stay warm.
While these massive traffic jams aren’t necessarily common, they’re also never expected (which means people are rarely prepared!). So, what can you do if you’re stuck in a winter traffic jam? We’re sharing our top tips and best advice to help you be ready for anything on the road, weather- or conditions-wise.
Prepare Before You Hit the Road
First and foremost, you’ll want to pack your car before you even leave home and hit the open road with supplies that can benefit you in an emergency. Every car – and every driver – needs a properly stocked emergency kit for the unexpected, with items like:
- First aid kit
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Flashlight
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Flares, compact triangles, or cones
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Emergency blanket
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Extra water
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Tool set (or compact, commonly used selection of tools or multitool)
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Jumper cables or a portable jump starter
During the winter, you’ll want to add a few extras to your car’s emergency kit, just in case you wind up in a traffic jam or get stuck on the side of the road for weather-related reasons. You can add:
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Ice scraper and snow brush
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Windshield cleaner
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Traction pads or mats
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Extra blankets, gloves, and hats
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Hand warmers
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Snow shovel
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Tire chains
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Sleeping bag
These items can come in handy when you’re unexpectedly trapped on the road for any length of time. The theme, as you’ll notice, is to keep you as warm as possible while you wait for the winter traffic jam to clear or for help to arrive.
If you’re concerned about food and want to pack more than just a backup water supply, it’s a good idea to stash some non-perishable snacks in your emergency kit. Granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, and even a jar of peanut butter are protein-rich options that’ll feed you decently in a pinch.
Next, you’ll also want to make sure you’ve done your winter maintenance checks. These are typically completed in fall, before the weather takes a turn, but you can technically perform them all winter long, too, to ensure your vehicle is in safe, working condition. You’ll want to check details like:
- Tire tread depth (and general tire quality)
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Fluid levels under the hood
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If antifreeze has been added
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Your battery and its connections
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Rubber components, like hoses and belts
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Your heating system
Use Your Smartphone as a Road Resource
Sure, you can’t guarantee that you’ll have cell signal everywhere you travel during the winter – or that severe storms won’t mess with your reception. But for the most part, you should be able to rely on your smartphone as a handy road resource when you’re stuck in a winter traffic jam.
So, before you head out on longer commutes, winter road trips, or any seasonal travel and vacations, you’ll want to download some apps that can help you out when you’re lost, stuck, or totally stranded on the highway. There’s an app for just about everything today, which means you can load up on options for every traffic jam need, from route replanning to nearby exits to the nearest gas stations.
We suggest downloading the following apps to help you get out of the gridlock (or to provide assistance once the gridlock resolves):
Waze, for navigating familiar and unfamiliar areas and avoiding traffic
GasBuddy, which provides crowdsourced info on the gas stations closest to you, with the most current prices
iOnRoad, an app that uses your smartphone camera to detect potential road hazards, help you navigate in inclement weather, and deliver real-time warnings and alerts
Roadtrippers, which is ideal for those vacationing in winter via road trip, as you can easily find nearby places to stop for a break or to recuperate
Life360, a location sharing app that’ll allow others to track your location (or you to track theirs)
Don’t forget to use your smartphone’s dedicated maps app, too – either Apple Maps or Google Maps. These provide real-time traffic information, can help you avoid delays coming up by automatically seeking out the fastest route, and will highlight nearby gas stations and restaurants so you always know what’s ahead.
Oh, and don’t forget to bring along an essential if you’ll be using your smartphone (which you will!): a backup battery. You can choose from small portable power banks that offer one to two extra charges for a smartphone, or opt for more powerful batteries that’ll give you anywhere from five to 10 recharges on their stored power.
Use These Survival Tips
Winter traffic jams can easily turn into emergency situations, especially if they’re prolonged and the weather is taking a turn for the worse. So, if you’re seriously stranded and it’s not looking like you’re going to get off the road safely, you’ll need to be prepared to utilize some survival skills.
You don’t need to take a whole course on outdoor survival – with the right tips, you can quickly and easily rescue yourself from a far worse situation. We suggest getting familiar with, or perhaps even printing out these survival tips.
Run the Engine for 10 Minutes Every Hour: Doing this will help you conserve fuel (after all, you’re shutting your car off) without freezing. Turn your car on, including the heat, run it for 10 minutes at a time, and then shut it off again. Stick to the 10 minutes, every 60 minutes approach, and you’ll save fuel and keep warm long enough to make it through the night.
Crack a Window If You’re Running Your Engine (and Getting Sleepy): While it’s tempting to keep your car totally closed up while you run the engine to try to warm up, it’s very dangerous and could wind up killing you via carbon monoxide gasses. Instead, crack a window if you’re feeling sleepy when you start the engine. This will allow for airflow, while still warming you up.
Move Around for Warmth: In addition to pulling out your emergency gear, like blankets, gloves, and hats, you’ll also want to do light movement inside the car. Don’t leave the car – it’s warmer inside – but do wave your arms, clap your hands, kick your feet, and try to move as best you can to keep the blood flowing. Just don’t work up a sweat, as that can deplete resources and lower your body temperature.
Keep Your Feet Off the Floor: The ground is, undeniably, very cold come winter. And since your vehicle’s floor and footwells are just a foot or two off the ground, it’s easy for them to get freezing cold fast. Buy yourself and your limbs a bit of time by keeping your feet elevated as best you can. Lay across the back seat, prop them up onto the dashboard, or lift them however it’s comfortable.