Every time a highway shuts down due to a bad wreck or weather, drivers get stuck.
RELATED:Real time traffic
"We've been out here over two-and-a-half hours," one person told us after a recent weather-related highway shutdown.
In most cases they had no idea the road ahead was closed, which then leads to growing nervousness about running out of gas.
"You wonder hey do I have enough gas, how long is this gonna be," another driver said.
There's an easy way to know what lies ahead: Download a traffic app like Waze, Sigalert or Google Maps.
Traffic reporter Adam Marshall swears by them, saying "it's not like you go on Google Maps on your PC or your laptop and hit print with directions, the way you did 10 years ago. The beauty of these apps is when something happens it updates instantly in real time."
Google Maps now gives alerts to construction zones and major accidents.
Sigalert provides even more detail.
Waze shows real time reporting by real drivers like you, and is the top rated traffic app in the app stores.
How it works
With Waze you simply type in your destination before you leave your driveway.
Then, members, known as Wazers, will alert you to any delays along your route. Wazers alert to slowdowns, potholes, or road closures.
Put Waze together with Google Maps on your phone, and you have a window into the road ahead, with little chance of getting stuck in a jam.
And that way you don't waste your money.
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