Precautions During Winter Trips

 Written by: Mir Aaq Etibar

It is extremely dangerous to travel to some provinces of Afghanistan without precautionary measures during the winter, especially in cold regions because in some areas with high altitudes, like Salang and Hjigak Pass, more snow falls in the winter and the temperature stays below zero.

AEPO’s writer/producer has talked to some people who have suffered during their trips in cold season.

Abdul Raheem, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says: “once I was going Hairatan border, and when I reached to Salang, I saw that four people were frozen.”

Shazia, a resident of Kabul city says: “once I was going to Mazar-e-Sharif with my children. When we reached Salang, our car’s machine frozen and the weather was very cold and we were not able to go out of the car. Our foods and water were finished. My children were near to be frozen and it was near to lose our baby.”

What are the causes of these problems?

A resident of Ghazni province says: “it was a snowy day and I was going to Ghazni that the accident of two cars took place due to the failure of their cars’ snow cleaners.”

Abdul Raheem says that the four frozen people did not have any warm clothes and a blanket with them.”

Shazia says that they had not taken enough foods and water with them and their car did not have chains either.”

What should travelers do to avoid these problems and dangers?

Abdul Raheem says: “when I travel in the winter, I put on warm clothes and take a special mattress which is filled with wool and I have not faced any problem during my winter trips yet.”

A driver, Abdul Malik, a resident of Maidan-Wardak province says: “my car tank has the capacity of 80 liters fuel. Before starting the travel, I fill my car tank and when I start my travel, I fill the tank with fuel after a few miles travel again. Once there was a heavy snowfall and I had to stay a night along the way to Kandahar in Shahjoe district, Helmand province, as I have some passengers in my car, I kept the car started and let the heater on during the whole night and no one faced any problem.”

Noor Agha, another driver, a resident of Paghman district, Kabul province says: “when I have a long-distance travel, I check my car, take a spare tire and other necessary equipment. I also take warm clothes and a blanket with me. When I feel that the weather so cold, I prefer to stay a night in a hotel.”