I 95 in Virginia on northbound is stopped for over 15 hours now

[Beachnutt]

people have been stuck in traffic.
Why can't the state cut a crossover thru the median to the southbound side so people can get to safety.
Folks need their medicine, food, water, bathroom etc...
Just cut some median crossovers.

[2naSalit]

1. Too practical.

[hlthe2b]

2. 20 years now I pack my car with a winter survival kit.... Granted, I'm in the West, but...

Subzero sleeping bag, water, shovel, sand or kitty litter, protein bars, emergency flares, blanket, matches, flashlights, extra large coffee can (guess what that is for), extra gloves, socks, and packaged "hand-warmers", wind-up radio with weather band and cell charging port... Plus the usual car stuff (battery jump cables and self-contained charger, tire inflator, etc). If I plan to drive long-distance, I add boots and snowshoes, just in case.

Ya never know. I've been on I-25 and I-70 when it has closed, stuck on the side of the road for nearly 24 hours. Sorry for these folks. Hopefully, they will now be motivated to stock their cars with their own emergency kits.

[Beachnutt]

3. Absolutely a great idea

I think I will do the same

[zeusdogmom]

4. Add one of those shiny reflective "space blankets" for each passenger

Amazing how they can help hold body heat in a tough situation. Plus they take up almost no storage space.

I also keep a fully packed emergency kit in the car - all the time. Changes a bit with the seasons but the essentials are the same. Only used once - for bandaids when the workplace didn’t have any and a co-worker needed a couple. And why didn’t the workplace not have bandaids in the first aid kit? “Employees took them” … 🙄.

[stopdiggin]

5. that use to be SOP for just about

everybody that drove in winters.

[Hortensis]

6. Good! Not so good here in GA since we no longer drive

the west's wide open spaces, but we still always have water and TP and now 4 rechargeable hand warmers/phone chargers, plus sleeping bags.

Other things are in a duffle I haven't checked in years and really should. (No idea at all what books to while away time might be in there.) I know it has pairs of rain suits and walking shoes because we've had to use them. Lots of rain here. My husband has auto tools. Hmmm, wonder if my old pair of muck boots is still in the trunk? I used to wear them to look for native plants. Lots of snakes and mud here also.

Stream of consciousness survey. Maybe it's time for a once-in-a-decade real one.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

9. I keep all that stuff in my truck too...

... out here in California, for driving in the mountains and deserts.

[womanofthehills]

13. I do too - living rural if there is an accident you might have to wait hrs - often for a helicopter

landing in the street. Once it was me put in one of those helicopters after a rattlesnake bite. For some reason, state police will never direct you around the accident. Also, I ‘ve spent many hours sleeping in my SUV when arroyos become impassable so I always have blankets, a pillow, water, snacks, flashlight, phone charger etc When I leave home, I make sure all my animals have lots of water - double water bowls for dogs.

[colorado_ufo]

11. Great list!

Sounds like you are a Colorado driver, mentioning I-25 and i-70! You travel the mountains enough times and you are bound to get stuck. The plains can be just as bad, with blizzard conditions. Thank you so much for this wonderful list and also for all the people on this thread who have made great suggestions!

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. I have all the things mentioned, PLUS a trauma kit. I don't know all the medical...

techniques needed, but I figure in a pile up, someone might.

As a kid we lived next to an intersection where there were terrible accidents - often head on- about 2 or 3 times a year. We saw too much of what a car accident can so to the human body.

Sometimes a tourniquet -used properly- can save someone's life.

ALSO, in a heavy snowstorm, stuck in your car, make sure to check that the tailpipe is clear.

[Totally Tunsie]

16. ...and cash.

Don't forget the cash! You might have to pay someone for services, and a credit card won't work in these circumstances.

I have a similar stash in my trunk - the tire inflator has come in handy a couple of times already.

[Eugene]

7. Further north, it's evacuate the people first and tow the vehicles after the weather clears.

That happened on I-95 in Massachusetts during the big Blizzard of '78.

[mountain grammy]

8. Makes too much sense..

[Old Okie]

10. Southbound not northbound

Correct as indicated; appears to be massive failure to respond by local authorities

[DanieRains]

12. Fire Extinguisher - Don't Forget

May save lives some day.

[diehardblue]

14. Among those stranded in the area: US Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia

'(CNN)Drivers have been stranded for hours on Interstate 95 in eastern Virginia -- some from Monday into Tuesday morning -- because of a severe winter storm that has sent authorities scrambling to clear a path.

The vehicles were stuck on portions of a 50-mile stretch of I-95 in the Fredericksburg area, between Richmond and Washington, DC, partly because of disabled trucks blocking the way in snowy and icy conditions, the Virginia Department of Transportation said.
Among those stranded in the area: US Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who said he was still stuck in traffic at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday -- 19 hours after starting his drive. He did not specify what road he was on; many secondary roads in the region also were blocked by downed trees or wintry conditions, authorities said.

"I started my normal 2 hour drive to DC at 1pm yesterday. 19 hours later, I'm still not near the Capitol," Kaine tweeted, posting a picture from behind a windshield, showing three trucks ahead.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/weather/winter-weather-tuesday/index.html

[Klaralven]

17. Once trucks get stopped, they are hard to get moving without chains or a tow

I was once stopped for about 6 hours on the long uphill grade of I-80 westbound west of Tannersville PA. The national guard came in from the west and gave tows to the trucks to get them moving. There were only a few inches of snow.

[asiliveandbreathe]

18. Like it was 30+ years ago..blizzard '78..Massachusetts..will never forget..

Normal hour drive from Braintree to Holliston..5 hours..company too late letting us out of work..3PM ..just made it home ..RT 128 to I 95 to 495 in Foxboro..and head north..just follow the car tracks and hope no accidents..my car sat IN the end of the driveway, thankfully off the "country road", for 5 days..a huge long nose plow came through, I forget what they call it..

Who knew how bad it would be, but, in 30 years people haven't figured it out yet...come on man!! Sorry, (been living on Planet Football for a week or so)

Great suggestions on thread..

[Emile]

19. I feel sorry for the truck drivers being paid by the mile.