The car as shelter

If you get stranded (storm, closed road, broken-down car), the car is a safer shelter and easier to find than walking aimlessly.

In cold

1. Stay in the car, unless you see a building a short distance away or the car is in danger (fire, rising water).
2. Make the car visible: turn on the hazard lights and, when it stops snowing or raining, raise the hood. Tie a bright-colored cloth to the antenna or the window.
3. Clear the exhaust: check that the tailpipe is not blocked by snow, mud, or debris. A blocked exhaust fills the car with carbon monoxide.
4. Run the engine about 10 minutes every hour for heat, with a window on the side away from the wind slightly open.
5. Save the battery: combine your use of lights, heat, and radio.
6. Bundle up together: share body heat, use blankets, floor mats, and newspaper as insulation.
7. Move your arms and legs every so often to keep your circulation going, without sweating.
8. Drink water to avoid dehydration; do not eat snow without melting it.
9. Take turns sleeping: one person stays awake to watch the exhaust, the heat, and signs of rescue.

In heat

• Never leave anyone (children, older adults, pets) inside a car parked in the sun, not "for a minute" and not with windows cracked: the interior temperature rises very quickly.
• If you are stranded in the sun, find shade outside the car (an overpass, trees) and use sunshades on the windshield.
• Open doors and windows to ventilate if it is safe.
• Conserve water: carry at least 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person in the car (see chapter 2).