Safety all about being prepared

DAWN DE BUSK

Frontiersman reporter

MAT-SU - Suddenly, the vehicle becomes ditchbound - pulled into a snowbank with the same velocity at which it was traveling on the road. In a few hairy moments, the vehicle plows through fresh snow like it was water before, finally, slowing without hitting any solid objects.

The driver, unhurt but unnerved, shakily sizes up the situation.

All the passengers are OK. Their transportation is definitely at a standstill without a tow. It's late at night, with few people on the road.

"It's a good idea to have a cell phone in the car. It gives you a measure of safety," Wasilla Chief of Police Don Savage said.

Many Valley residents carry a cell phone anywhere they go.

But, let's say the people in this scenario, received a call before they left home and left the phone on a table. Or some other fluke that causes otherwise prepared individuals to have no way to call for help.

How else can a person - whether they drive 10 minutes to work and back or commute to Anchorage - be ready for a wintertime mishap on the Southcentral roadways?

Start with a driver's checklist, which includes car maintenance and an emergency kit, according to the Web site for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Savage suggests that vigilantly maintaining vehicles could save drivers from trouble down the road.

"It's not a bad idea to be doing an annual review. This is probably a good time to do it," Savage said.

"A simple thing can disable your car," he said, adding that belts, hoses and batteries can be culprits if not replaced when necessary.

"As we move into the time of year when it's darker, it's time to check the lights and turn signals," he said.

Packing a winter emergency kit and keeping it in the vehicle could help drivers survive while waiting for help.

That kit should include a tow strap or rope, a traction devise like sand or cat litter, flares, a flashlight, blankets, winter boots, warm hats and gloves, Savage said.

"Reflective triangles are good if you're involved in an accident with leaking fuel," he said, adding that using flares in that kind of situation could create, instead of eliminate, problems.

Savage also recommended having a travel plan,

especially during longer trips, and devising a system of checking in.

How about keeping food in the vehicle during a particularly long wait?

"I know of pilots who carry a bag of dry dog food for an emergency. I've heard of it, but I don't recommend it," Savage said.

He warned that people who are trying to stay warm in their stranded snowbound vehicles should be aware of carbon monoxide levels and make sure the exhaust pipe isn't blocked by snow.

"Always carry a big, wide ice scraper that makes the job easier. How many times have we seen people take off with two little peep holes in the snow or frost on the windshield?" Savage said.

"It's mostly common sense stuff," he said.

Dawn De Busk can be reached at 352-2252, or dawn.debusk@ frontiersman.com.