Always be prepared...
In CCW class, gross -vs- fine motor skills were discussed, and what type of situations affect each. Basically, when in the type of situation that requires a firearm, generally, you will have no fine motor skills. In other words, to avoid wasting precious seconds thinking, "where did I set that thing???", simple reach for it, and it will be there.
Analogous Story Time:
Time: February 1994. Location: central Indiana. Weather: lousy.
The day had started around 35 or 40 degrees. The several inches of snow that was already on the ground, turned into slush. Durring the afternoon, the temperature dropped to the mid-twenties. And it started snowing. The slush turned to ice, which was then covered by snow. You do the math.
Enter me and my new car, which was only 3 months old. I had little money, and had let my insurance lapse the week before. An important lesson was soon to be learned by I.
The normally 50 minute drive home took over 2 hours. When I passed the sign that said: "Kokomo 26", traffic on the highway was only going 26 miles an hour. When I passed the sign that said, "Kokomo 15", traffic was only going 15 miles an our. When I pass the sign that said, "Kokomo 10 miles"... well, you get the idea.
Anyway, along the way, visibility was only usually only 50 yards or so. At times, it was a complete white-out condition - I literally could not see the front my my own car. Durring the drive, I passed over 100 vehicles that had slid off the road, and/or rear-ended each other.
I was a lucky one - to a point. I made it thru the snowy gauntlet to the edge of town, and turned off the main highway. I drove down the road a bit to a less traveled country road, only to be hit by some drunk whom thought that 4-wheel drive meant ...never mind, he wasn't thinking. And no, he didn't have any insurance either(that he told me about).
Fortunatly, I was fine, and only minor damage was sustained by my car - damage that exists today. I let it remain as a reminder to NEVER be without insurrance again. Never. (well, that and I couldn't afford to fix it)*
It was almost 11 years, and 220,000 miles, before I needed insurance again. Also only minor damage, but at least I got paid for it by the offender's insurance company without hassle.
The moral of the story? Just like you should always wear a seat belt, you should:
Carry the same gun, the same place, ALL the time.
Because, you NEVER know.
Carry on!
PS:* As a side note, the (intoxicated) driver of the 4-wheel drive jeep did offer to cover the deductable of my insurance company (no I didn't tell him). I told him it was $250. I should have told him it was $500, or more. Anyway, when I went to his home (trailor) a week later to collect, it almost turned ugly, but I was lucky and got my 250 & left.