Winter Travel Reminders
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/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2021

Winter Travel Reminders

Winter weather is upon us, and with it increased risks involved in daily travel as well as long-distance road trips for holiday getaways. Many are not prepared to properly prevent and handle travel accidents. Now is an excellent time to review the steps that can prevent travel mishaps and the appropriate measures to take, should an untimely accident arise.

Keep your car equipped and in good repair. As winter approaches, equip your car with an ice scraper, a snowbrush, jumper cables, and snow tires. Abide by regular maintenance recommendations, and have a mechanic check the car before long trips for any mechanical issues. Also, ensure that the tires are properly inflated, that wipers thoroughly clear the windshield, that fluids are topped off, and that you have plenty of gas.  

Equip your car with a winter first aid kit.  Gathering an emergency kit of items you would need is well worth the time and expense. It would even make a great gift for those people in your life who are tough to buy for. Ensure your car is equipped with a jack and lug wrench to change a tire. Older vehicles do not always have their originally supplied equipment. For emergencies at any time of year, you would likely want to have several other items on hand. Pack a cell phone charger or rechargeable battery pack; a flashlight, hand-cranked or with extra batteries; a first aid kit, including band-aides, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, antiseptic ointment, and medical wrap; bottled water; and road flares or reflective triangles.

For winter travel emergencies, include windshield washing fluid, a bag of sand to be used for extra traction, a collapsible snow shovel, emergency blanket, work gloves, safety whistle, and hand warmers. Those who are traveling outside cell reception, could also include a car fire extinguisher; tire gauge; a multi-tool; baby wipes; duct tape; blankets; non-perishable, high-energy foods, like energy bars or trail mix; a battery-powered radio; matches in a water-proof container; cord and scissors; and a compass.

Know your route. Plan your route in advance. Be sure to prepare with both electronic means of navigation and paper directions, and let a friend or family member know which way you intend to go and when you expect to arrive. Check in with them once you get there.   

Check the conditions. Pay attention to the weather forecast for the time you will be traveling. Also, ensure that you, yourself, are in good health. Viral illnesses, like the flu or COVID-19, can slow response times significantly. If you are feeling unwell or the weather looks treacherous, cancel the trip.

Dress for the worst. Be sure to have clothes that would protect you from the cold, if your car could no longer be used as a source of heat or if you had to be outside for a while. Also have an extra pair of clothes to change into, should the ones you are wearing become wet. Wear or carry boots, a hat, warm gloves, scarf, and coat.

Leave extra time. Give yourself more time for travel. You may need to slow your speed and increase following distance. Do not be in a rush. Budget time to brush off car entirely, including the roof, bumpers, and all of the lights. Snow can slide off the roof of the car and impair visibility for you and other drivers. Clean the windshield and wipers of all snow and ice.

In case of an accident, leave your car only to place flares or reflective triangles at the front and rear. Don’t try to push your vehicle out of the snow. Make sure the exhaust pipe is free of snow, mud, or other objects, and keep the car running with the heat on, if possible. Call for help.

While we can’t prevent every instance of trouble, we can be prudent and prepare in ways that will improve our ability to keep ourselves and our passengers safe.

Crystal Labbe-Hasty, PA-C, is a physician assistant at SVMC ExpressCare in Bennington. It is part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Southwestern Vermont Health Care.  

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Moving Forward Safely

One of the most frustrating and anxiety-producing traits of our COVID –19 pandemic is how much uncertainty is involved in all aspects of this disease. Symptoms caused by the Coronavirus, age groups affected, the usefulness of medications, anticipated death rate, and the timeline for development of a vaccine are examples of information that sometimes change on a weekly basis.

Vermonters have done a great job of limiting the spread of the virus and protecting our most vulnerable neighbors by following the Governor's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order over the past few months. Now, we've all been directed to wear masks in public. Both Bennington and Wilmington's Select Boards have passed local mandates requiring masks in public places. Thanks to these efforts—along with distancing, handwashing, and other factors—Vermont is among the states with the fewest number of infections. Continuing each of these important infection-prevention strategies is crucial to returning to a more normal way of life.

As we open up and begin to re-connect, we fully expect to see a rise in COVID –19 cases in Vermont. Thankfully, we have had time to prepare for this increase. We also have adequate PPE, and increased testing will help us gather crucial information for stemming the spread with less disruption to our normal lives.

More than ever, I find it helpful to focus on what we have learned and how it can help us move forward safely. Here is some of what we have learned so far: Most large hospitals, often treating over 1000 COVID patients daily, effectively protected their workers by obsessively following the rules of screening, hygiene, distancing, and masking. Each of these components is designed to work together; Each alone has its inherent limits.

  • Absent quick testing at the workplace, the best screening is asking employees if they have COVID-like symptoms (fever, chills, new cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of taste or smell) and to stay home if they do.
  • Washing our hands (or using sanitizer) after touching well-handled items or visiting populated areas. Washing your hands 10 times daily is not too often.
  • Though an uncovered sneeze or cough can travel farther, 6 feet distancing continues to be the sweet spot for safety.
  • Masks (double layer cotton and surgical) are effective to prevent spreading of large and some small droplets containing virus. They also seem to give some minimal protection to those wearing a mask. Since possibly 40 percent of transmission happens when we do not have symptoms, we wear our masks to protect others and to suppress overall infection rate. They also help many people (not all) to avoid touching their face. The downside is a warm chin; the upside is you may be protecting someone from a significant illness. Masks are not a symbol of government intrusion. Masks are simply a tool to protect others and show empathy.

It is difficult to predict how many COVID-19 infections will occur in our communities in the coming months. What I am certain of is that our choices, on where we go and what we do, often affect the safety of those around us. As we learn to live with this virus in our community, following the recommendation above will help us all.

Marie George, MD, is SVMC’s infectious disease specialist.

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