Picture this! A Survivor/Naked and Alone/Netflix-style horror film and the story line is people trapped for hours in their vehicles on a highway during a blizzard.
They would be in various state of dress. There would be adults, children and pets.
Help may not be coming for many hours.
Oh wait! No need to imagine. That really happened.
Hundreds of trucks and other vehicles were struck on Highway 11, north of Orillia, some for several hours.
OrilliaMatters reported more than 120 centimetres of snow had fallen since Friday night.
We heard similar horror stories of motorists stranded near Bracebridge and Gravenhurst.
I have always thought this would be among the worst of situations.
I’m sure there are dozens of stories to be recounted about the last few days.
What happens if you run low on fuel? (I noticed some of the ONroutes along the 401 around London are not even offering fuel during renovations.)
What if you have no extra windshield washer fluid?
Do we always travel with snacks and water?
Blankets?
What do you do if you are desperate for a bathroom? (Maybe that’s where the phrase 'any old port in a storm' came from...?)
It may be smart to include an extra change of pants and underwear?
Extra medication? Unless I’m planning to be away for a few days, I never think to do that. I will now.
Speaking primarily to women now. You know we often dress for the event we’re attending and not for the journey to and from. We are likely to have on light silky pants, dressy boots (no good for warmth or walking) and a light coat rather than our puffy Michelin Man ski jacket type.
We need to put function before fashion. Scarves, earmuffs, gloves.
CAA lists the following things for an emergency road kit:
- Jumper cables
- Flashlight with extra batteries and candles
- Rags
- A HELP sign (at least eight inches high)
- Bottled water
- Extra vehicle fuses
- First-aid kit
- Nonperishable food items (granola bars, nuts)
- A collapsible shovel (some kitty litter could help get your tires some traction on snow or ice)
- Cellphone charger
- Snow brush and ice scraper (and please use them prior to driving)
If you do find yourself stranded on a roadway, the OPP advises travellers to stay with their vehicle and not venture away from it. Pedestrians could get lost or face hazards posed by snow-removal equipment.
Winter happens every year, around the same time, so I don’t know why I am always so ill-prepared.
I am going to use the most recent events as a cautionary tale to get my vehicle checked over and myself organized.
As we all know, there can be differing weather conditions literally from one end of a city to the other.
There’s even more travel in our futures as we attend family gatherings and parties in the coming weeks.
Let’s make sure all precious cargo arrives safely, including ourselves.
