If the best form of attack is still defence, what is the best way to prevent an unforeseen car emergency? Of course, you don’t have to wait until the emergency occurs before you fine-tune your safety routines.
Getting the right set of kits for emergency situations in your car should be the best way to be prepared for a wide range of eventualities. Here are 10 things you need to have in your car to prepare and protect yourself and your loved ones from emergency situations.
1. First Aid Kit
Most times, when we think of emergencies and cars, the first thing that comes to mind is a road accident. However, there’s a lot more that could go wrong requiring a first aid kit.
Regardless of whether you are safeguarding yourself from minor or major emergencies, you should stock bandages, cotton swabs, pain relievers, allergy medicine, hand sanitizer and medications used by family and friends. This is necessary at all times but could prove to be a lifesaver during camping trips and outdoor emergencies.
2. Water Bottles
One of the regularly seen uses of water in a water bottle is in cases overheating radiators. However, the same water could be used to quench your thirst or wash your hands when soiled with oil.
3. Flashlight
There is a flashlight on almost every phone these days. This flashlight could be very useful for home use; for such things as looking for your keys or seeing you through the right door down a dark hallway. But in an emergency, probably a car breakdown at night, you may need more than a phone’s flashlight. First, you have to conserve your cellphone battery so that you can call for help. Moreover, a heavy-duty flashlight gives you more visual clarity while checking under your hood in night-time emergency. Always keep your torch charged or have extra batteries.
4. Warm Clothing
You’re never sure when an emergency would happen and where they might take place, which is why it’s important to imagine all possible scenarios. Having blankets and warm clothing in your trunk could protect you against cold weather, especially when you have children or a sick person in the car with you.
5. Snacks
It’s not fun to be in an emergency situation. You get into double trouble if you are hungry in such a situation. It helps to have snacks around when trying to figure out how to get out of a bad situation. Biscuits, granola bars, wafers, crackers and nuts could stay the hunger games and help you concentrate and relax while waiting for help to arrive.
6. Spare Tyre
This is indispensable for all cars. You need it for all trips, and with it comes the jack, tyre iron or wrench and pipe. These help with the removal of bad tyres and their replacement.
7. Tool Kit
Screwdrivers, pliers, tyre gauge, oil and brake fluid are some of the essentials that should occupy your tool kit box. These items could be just what stand between you the risk of missing a job interview or meeting if your car runs into an emergency. The availability of these tools determines how fast enough you can fix minor car trouble when you are far away from a petrol station or repair shop.
8. Emergency Flares
Emergency flares are necessary for the mitigation of traffic accident. The fact remains that you don’t get to determine when your car breaks down; sometimes, it could be on the highway with blind curves. Oncoming vehicles may not be able to see your car from afar, but emergency flares could do the job of notifying them.
9. Jumper Cables
Have you witnessed the wonders of jumper cables before? When your battery runs out, jumper cables could help you get it back to work. This can be done by following the instructions on attaching the cables to the positive and negative battery terminals of another person’s car.
10. Paper Towels
You can easily pick up stains from opening and closing your car’s hood while trying to figure out what is wrong with it. Oil stains and dust can find their way to your shirt. A roll of paper towels could mitigate the disaster this can cause to you.