Getting Out Of Town
Chaos has broken out across the city you live in and it's no longer safe to stay put. It's time to get out of town. You check the routes in your Get Out of Town (GOT) plan and pick the third route because you know it's the safest one to use to sneak out undetected.
The above scenario is only possible if you've planned ahead and create a GOT plan. If not, you're either going to have to guess and hope you're right or waste valuable time getting the maps out and planning your escape.
In a time critical situation, a GOT plan could be the difference between getting out safe and getting caught in a hell-storm.
Get a topographical map of the city and plan out the following escape routes ahead of time:
The fastest way out of the city. This route gets you on the nearest highway and gets you the heck out of town.
The fastest way out without using the freeway. This route avoids freeways and highways that'll be congested if everyone else is trying to escape too. Highways may be shut down depending on the situation.
A route that gets you out of the city without using surface streets or highways. There may come a time when you can't travel via normal roads and highways. Having an off-road route planned will help you escape if this predicament presents itself.
A path you can take if you're forced to leave on foot. Seek out a trail or route you can take if you're forced to strike out sans vehicle.
As many alternate routes out as you can find. When presented with a situation where you can't take one route, you should be able to consult your plan and find an alternate route.
You may find you leave in your truck and are planning on hitting the highway, only to get there and find it's already a parking lot. If you've planned ahead, you can consult your plan for the next best route. If that doesn't work out, you can look to your off-road route.
The more contingency routes you have in place, the better your chances of a successful escape become.