| By Chilton Staff |
At 5:15 AM on January 4, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced: “Interstate 95 is CLOSED.”1 A look back at 2022’s 50-mile traffic jam shows how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected. Thousands of people were stranded by a blizzard, trapped overnight in freezing weather in their cars.
“I could have walked home faster than this, pretty much,”
said stranded driver Susan Phalen.2
As people were running out of fuel, food, and water, and forced to turn off their heaters, there were bright spots. People shared food and emergency items and helped others whose cars were stuck in the snow, and while “one trucker was handing out bottles of water, one bread delivery truck opened its doors and people handed out loaves.”2,3,4 In the middle of the night, a family heading home after a Florida visit shared oranges with other hungry motorists.1
A trucker, Jean-Carlo Gachet … had food, water and a microwave, so he shared a heated
breakfast with a man and his mother in a vehicle in front of him.
“Easily the longest traffic jam I’ve been in,” said Gachet.2
Some took advantage of the downtime. One family played Trivial Pursuit as they waited for help to arrive.1 Investigative reporter Jim DeFede joked after being stuck for more than 20 hours: “I’m not sure, but I think I now qualify for Virginia residence.”4
Prep for Winter during Fall Car Care Month
Since getting stranded in winter weather is inconvenient and can even be life-threatening, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is ready. October is Fall Car Care Month, a time when car owners prep their cars and trucks for colder, wetter, windier, snowier winter weather. Depending on their climate, they swap all-season for winter tires and change from heavier summer to lighter winter-weight engine oil. It’s a good time to fill coolant reservoirs with antifreeze, and make sure the heater, defroster, lights, and wipers are in good order.
At times like these, ChiltonLibrary comes in handy with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications, such as brake pad thicknesses as well as maintenance procedures, like oil and filter change.
While it’s not possible to know when the next weather or traffic event will strand motorists, Fall Car Care month is about preparing for the unexpected—and ChiltonLibrary can help car owners do that.
If your library doesn’t currently subscribe, request to take ChiltonLibrary for a test drive.
1 Scott Wise, CBS Local 6 News, January 4, 2022, https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/tim-kaine-stuck-i95-nightmare.
2 Jason Hanna, et al, “I-95 in Virginia Reopens after Winter Storm Strands Some Drivers for More than 24 Hours,” CNN, updated 8:39 AM ET, Wed., January 5, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/weather/winter-weather-tuesday/index.html.
3 Jon Blistein, “I-95 Is a Snow-Covered Dystopian Hellscape. These Truckers Came to the Rescue,” Rolling Stone, January 4, 2022, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/i-95-dystopian-hellscape-truckers-1278356/.
4 Katharine Jackson, “Thousands of Stranded Drivers Cleared from Snowbound Virginia Highway,” January 4, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/drivers-trapped-cars-after-us-snowstorm-shuts-major-road-virginia-2022-01-04/.