Q: Driving home over break can be a rough trip for many students who have long, potentially icy roads between Moscow and home. What advice would you give those students for staying safe?
A: Take your time, abide by the rules of the road and be mindful of the weather conditions. I would rather you arrive late than not arrive at all. Car accidents are the number one cause of death for students at the University of Idaho.
So, I can’t caution enough the importance of safety, especially when the weather is inclement. Drive the speed limit or below the speed limit, especially if the road conditions are not ideal, and always check the road conditions. Make sure you plan ahead and put safety first.
Q: What should students do ahead of time to prepare for a long winter drive?
A: First of all, students don’t have to drive. We have a holiday break bus for Thanksgiving break, winter break and spring break. Students can take a bus down to South Idaho or Southeast Idaho or over to Portland. So, students don’t have to drive themselves. They can let a professional do that for them and just enjoy the ride, get some sleep, watch movies. The second thing, I would say, is plan ahead be mindful of the time of day that you are leaving, be mindful of where you are going and how long it takes to get there. If you are driving by yourself, try not to — ride with a friend, someone who can help keep you awake especially if you are driving at night when it is dark. Let people know when you’re leaving and when you plan on arriving so that way, if something does come up, they know when to reach out and get some assistance.
Q: What tips do you have for students who do find themselves driving in bad weather?
Blaine Eckles | Courtesy
A: If it’s conducive, seek shelter. Better to stop on your way to Boise if there is a big snowstorm going on and the road conditions aren’t safe. Just hole up in Riggens or stop in McCall, hang out overnight and go the next day when the roads are plowed. Try not to push through just because you want to get home. Again, I would rather you arrive late than not arrive at all.
Q: What safety advice do you have for students flying home?
A: Be prepared for traffic delays, so be ready to take a longer time to fly than normal. Have money, so if you get stuck in an airport you can get food. Be mindful of your belongings — it can be a theft opportunity for some people when you are traveling.
Q: Any tried-and-true routes you can recommend?
A: Interstate travel is always best because those are four-lane highways. They have a median and are usually well maintained. Being in Moscow, we don’t have any nearby, — you have to drive a couple hours to get to the closest one. Drive during the daytime if at all possible. If you drive in the daytime, be reasonable and maintain appropriate speeds for the given stretch of road.
Q: Do you have any examples that provide an example either of what to do — or not do — when heading home over break?
A: It is coming up on two years now when we had a student who was killed in a car accident over finals week. She and some friends were heading up to Spokane airport in the middle of the night and they got in a very tragic car accident and unfortunately, she lost her life. Be mindful that even if you are driving under the speed limit, it is still not necessarily ideal conditions for driving. Be aware of the weather and the environment.
Q: Any final thoughts you would like to share?
A: Safety should always come first, don’t put yourself at risk unnecessarily. I care for our students. I want to see every one of them graduate. Traffic accidents can happen on our curvy, windy roads here in North Idaho. We always feel like we are invulnerable, and we need be mindful of that. The world can be a very challenging place to live in at times, so use caution.
Gavin Green can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @gavingreenphoto