subject: Tips for dealing with a breakdown in remote locations [print this page] Tips for dealing with a breakdown in remote locations
A car breakdown is sometimes a situation that seems to happen to you whenever you least expect it. However, there are a few car breakdown survival tips that can help keep you and your family safe.
To start with, make sure to contact help immediately if possible. If you have mobile phone reception, call 999 and give your location, or at least as precise a location as you can to ensure that help can reach you as quickly as possible. However, remote locations often have limited or no mobile phone coverage, so be prepared to wait it out if necessary.
If this is the case, try to stay in your vehicle. Many people die after becoming stranded in a car breakdown situation because they leave their vehicle when they could have just stayed in their car. Survival experts recommend that everyone remains inside a vehicle until help arrives. As long as you are inside your car, you will have heat and be protected from the elements.
If you are inside your vehicle, it's important to ventilate the car - open the window a little to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in any situations where you are running your engine or car heater.
As the hours go by with no rescue, it is easy for panic to set in. Try to remain calm, however it is important to stay awake for as long as possible. Sing songs, tell stories, read anything that is in the car, basically use any distraction you can find to keep your mind stimulated. You should bring anything you need from the boot inside the vehicle with you, which could include books or newspapers that can keep everyone's mind occupied. Staying awake is important to prevent yourself or passengers from becoming susceptible to cold-related health problems.
As such, it's also important to stay as warm as possible. Move your arms and legs to improve circulation and wrap your entire body in extra clothing, blankets, even newspapers if necessary. If there are a few of you in the vehicle, then huddle together to keep warm.
If you must use your car's dome light, then do so sparingly. You will also be able to use the dome light for illumination at night. It draws less current from the battery than emergency flashers and can be seen by searchers, so it's important to be able to turn it on if needs must.
Finally, protect yourself against the elements. Ireland does not usually experience much snowfall, but recent years have seen a substantial amount of snow. If you breakdown in snowy conditions, clear the snow off the hood and roof so that your vehicle will be visible to others. This is particularly important in remote locations. A car buried in snow is almost impossible to spot. Do not try to dig the car out. You will only exhaust yourself and the sweat you work up will dampen your clothes and keep you from getting warm. Be sure to clear the snow away from the vehicle's exhaust pipe. Similarly, try to keep your windows clear of ice and snow that could cause them lasting damage. The last thing you want is to be in a position where you have to replace your car window if you've broke down in a remote location.
Above all, stick together! Your chances of surviving the breakdown may depend on it, you never know, so it's important that everyone in the car gets on and works together while waiting for help to arrive.
