15 Items You Should Include In Your Vehicle Emergency Kit
An emergency kit in your car is something that you hope you will never have to use. Does that mean you shouldn’t have one? Absolutely not. An emergency kit is crucial to have in your car and may well save your life, should the worst happen.
What you should have in your emergency kit
There are many items that you should have in your emergency kit. The list below contains many essentials and then good ideas for your emergency kit – but it is not definitive.
- Thick blankets
- Jumpstart kit
- Water
- Energy bars
- First Aid Kit
- Flashlight
- Reflective clothing
- Spare phone
- Tool kit (multipurpose tools to save space)
- Road maps
- Extra clothes (prioritize items that will keep you warm, such as gloves, boots, wool socks, thick and warm clothing)
- Sanitation such as anti-bacterial gel, spare toiletries
- Pen and paper
- Car escape tools (these can include items that can help you cut your or your passengers’ seatbelts or break through a window in an emergency)
Tailoring your kit
You can also curate your emergency kit by looking at the season. Although we suggest sticking to one “do-it-all” kit all year round, if space is an issue, you could remove parts that are not as relevant in summer (supplies such as an ice scraper, de-icing solution) and in the winter items such as spare sun cream.
Also, if you are someone who predominately drives at night, you might want to add extra items such as roadside flares/glowsticks, and reusable LEDs that can be placed on your vehicle to provide illumination for you and your vehicle. If you are someone who drives through particularly treacherous mountainous icy conditions, prepare accordingly. The best way to prepare is to research the best emergency kit for your driving – a simple search on Amazon will send you in the direction of lots of pre-made kits that take the hassle out of preparing your own away. Or use our list above and tailor it to your own individual needs and buy additional items accordingly.
Making sure your kit is accessible
Some items, such as the clothing, can be kept in the boot, with the assumption that if you broke down in a cold climate you could quickly grab what you need. Other items, such as the car escape tools, are of no use if they are hidden away in your boot after you have rolled your car and are unable to break through the window. A better place would be a secure compartment around your dashboard, one you could reach for and access even in an emergency where your mobility is limited.
Your emergency kit can save your life. Hopefully, you will never have to use it in extreme circumstances, but your small financial outlay and time planning your kit are one of the most worthwhile investments in your safety you can possibly make!