What to Do When the Highway is Closed and You Can't Exit?
2 Answers
Follow the arrangements of traffic police and road administration personnel, and exit the main highway under their guidance. Under severe weather conditions, highway traffic control is divided into the following three levels: Level 3 Control: When severe weather such as heavy rain, snowstorms, or dense fog occurs on the highway with visibility between 100 to 200 meters, Level 3 control is implemented. This involves partial road closures and traffic interruptions lasting less than 3 hours. Level 2 Control: When severe weather such as heavy rain, snowstorms, or dense fog occurs on the highway with visibility between 50 to 100 meters, making it unsafe for vehicles to pass, Level 2 control is implemented. This involves regional road closures and traffic interruptions lasting 3 to 6 hours. Level 1 Control: When severe weather such as heavy rain, snowstorms, or dense fog occurs on the highway with visibility less than 50 meters, or when road surfaces are icy and unsafe for vehicles to pass, Level 1 control is implemented. This involves full highway closures and traffic interruptions lasting more than 6 hours.
Having driven for many years, I've encountered highway closures several times. The top priority is to stay calm and avoid slamming on the brakes. Find a safe emergency lane to pull over, turn on the hazard lights to alert vehicles behind you; don't get out of the car randomly, staying inside is safer. Use your phone to open navigation apps like Amap or Baidu to check why the road is closed—it could be due to an accident, fog, or construction, while also tuning into traffic radio stations like FM103.9 for real-time updates. It's especially important to keep some water and dry food in the trunk, otherwise you might get hungry while waiting; if bored, you can play some music or listen to the radio to pass the time, but don't turn up the volume too loud to avoid distracting yourself. If the closure lasts a long time without any movement, try calling the highway emergency number for help instead of forcing your way through. Remember to develop a habit of checking the weather forecast before trips to avoid bad weather routes, so similar problems can occur less frequently.
