Avoiding non-essential road travel makes sense
It seems that each winter we have enough severe storms that the police and local government ask all motorists to avoid non-essential road travel. They do it to help everyone remain safe and not become injured or stranded during that time. But what does essential travel really mean?
According to a dictionary definition, the word essential means “absolutely necessary; extremely important” or “a thing that is absolutely necessary”. In context, we have the essentials of life such as food, water, clothing, etc. So, when the police and government officials say to avoid non-essential road travel in poor weather/road conditions, what does that mean to you?
During winter snow storms, although we get told to avoid non-essential driving, some individuals get confused about what becomes essential. Essential travel in a major storm would fall under the category of looking after someone who is ill or in need of assistance or perhaps even going to your job. Going to the store to shop for new shoes or snacks would not be, and I do like my snacks essential by the way, but they can wait.
One of the main reasons for drivers to avoid non-essential travel is that it helps the emergency services to do
their job of clearing the roads and getting to emergencies. It can become difficult for the plows to clear the roads when there is too much traffic. It also may mean more vehicles are getting stuck in the snow and need help to get out. That ties up emergency services and blocks the roads for snow plows. This slows down the plows to a point where it can take them longer to complete their job, which can extend the request of avoiding non-essential travel.
In today’s world, we know a few days in advance of any major storm heading our way. Days, not hours. This is plenty of time to stock up on food and anything else you think you’ll need over the next little while. So, if that’s the case, why do you need to go out during a storm when you’re asked to stay home? Something to do maybe? Boredom?
Now, I get it when you do need to go out. You have to get to your job which is essential or you have no other choice but to go to work. Perhaps you need to get to a hospital because you or a family member are injured or ill. Maybe you need to check in on a senior family member because you can’t seem to reach them any other way. With all due respect, there are probably fewer essential activities that need to happen during a storm than what we see.
When you know a storm is headed your way, plan ahead. Ensure you have the supplies you need over the length of the storm, such as food and fuel. Visit the elderly in your life to ensure they have enough supplies as well to help them get past the storm. Planning early is really the key to avoiding non-essential road travel when the weather conditions are severe. This is the point I’m essentially trying to make here.