Why You Need a Car Emergency Kit

In case of a roadside emergency, make sure to have an emergency car kit with supplies to sustain you. While on the open road, anything can happen ranging from flat tires and mechanical problems to natural disasters to accidents. If your car requires minor repairs or troubleshooting, then it’s important to have the tools to fix it safely. With a car emergency, it’s crucial to be prepared for accidents and have the ability to call for help. When it comes to weather problems, it’s critical to have an emergency kit containing basic supplies, first aid, and a small food survival kit to provide nourishment in the case of being stranded. Once you have organized your tool kit, keep it in the trunk where it won’t be disturbed and won’t take up extra room. Just don’t forget to check on items that could go expire, such as batteries. 

What to Put in the Emergency Car Kit

Tools and Car Parts for Small Repairs 

When it comes to preventable or treatable car failures and accidents on the side of the road, tire experts find “an average 33,000 accidents happen annually because of tires.” Tire accidents are preventable and some of these may result in death or serious injury. One way to prevent blowouts is keeping a tire jack, a working spare tire, and a wrench in your car. Sometimes, people forget to replace the spare, so make sure you return the donut to the vehicle. If you do not know how to put in a spare tire, there are movies available on YouTube; so, you can teach yourself how to change a tire for free. Be sure to check these out in case you need to change a tire yourself one day. 

On that note, make sure you have flares and reflecting triangles in your trunk. If you break down at night or somewhere with low visibility, this will help other drivers see you. When trucks and other drivers have been on the road for hours, bright equipment will help them avoid you. Likewise, when the weather is poor, it will help you to have equipment to make your car stand out. 

We also recommend carrying a common toolkit with items you need that are typical repairs. Bug Out Bag Academy recommends a kit with “screwdrivers, pliers, vise grips, adjustable wrench, tire pressure gauge, etc..” A small tool kit like that would help, but we also suggest bringing accessories for car maintenance like antifreeze. If your car is overheating, a little coolant can get you safely to a repair shop. We also suggest checking the oil and making sure the gauges on your car aren’t chiming. If your car needs servicing, especially with the engine, it is much less costly and dangerous to fix it rather than drive on it and/ or end up stranded with a blown engine. 

Finally, never leave home without an extra gas can, jumper cables, and a flashlight. Gas stations don’t always have a spare can to use, so we think bringing your own doesn’t hurt. You might want to also include a compass in the kit, then you can make sure you’re heading in the right direction should you leave the vehicle (which is not recommended). 

First Aid Supplies 

Ifstranded on the side of the road in your vehicle, there is a chance that you could be injured. You might have been in an accident, or gotten minor cuts and scratches from doing repairs. We suggest keeping a standard-issue first aid kit with antibiotics, bandages, etc. Some helpful extras would be little things that are useful that you wouldn’t normally consider, but would really need in an emergency situation. You would want anti-itch cream, anti-nausea medication, antacids, Aspirin, etc. If you take prescription medication, consider putting an emergency dose in the kit. If you are female or share a car with women, also pack menstrual products. 

Food and Water

We recently researched emergency food survival kits and reviewed the top packages. With this in mind, there are several companies that have short-term emergency survival kits, such as ones for three-day supplies. Kits like this Augason farms one are in small packages that require a bit of water (easily deliverable if you keep a water bottle nearby), can be shaken up, and then you’re ready to go. In terms of water, a disaster preparedness site run by the United States government says to bring a lot of water, “one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation.” In short, it’s never a bad idea to stock up on food and water. 

Items for Weather Protection

We have briefly touched on some equipment to show where you are on the road when it’s low visibility or dark on the road. There’s more to consider, such as extreme snow and rain. For snow, pack an ice scraper and heat warmers for gloves. You can put these in boots and gloves. Pack extra blankets in case of getting stuck in a blizzard. You would also want to pack a poncho and umbrella if you get stuck in the rain. Some people recommend a thermos and radio if you know you will be traveling in snowy weather. By bringing your own radio, you can save your car battery and monitor traffic/road closures to track the storm.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac site also recommends collapsible snow shovels and “a bag of sand to help with traction.” The sand (or kitty litter) is something you can put on the road to get out if you have become stuck in a drift. Similarly, snow shovels can help you dig your way out of trouble. 

Other Essentials 

In the present day, there is one huge factor that can help you in a car emergency that was not an option for the majority of the public even twenty-five years ago: cellphones. While there is always the off-chance that you can lose control of your car and have an emergency in a dead zone, there’s a chance that your phone is still connected. Even if you are far away from help, you can phone AAA, emergency services, or a loved one to help you. In the advent that your phone dies, we do have an idea about how to fix that.

You should keep a portable cellphone charger in the vehicle. There are chargers that are battery operated or use a USB port that retain charge for a long time. Keep one of these handy, then you will have access to help. 

Car Safety Tips

It’s important to pay attention to the gadgets on your car, such as warning lights, and make sure these aren’t signaling. As long as you are able to, upkeep your car and do preventative maintenance. Don’t let the oil wear on your car. You can buy air pressure gauges to read whether your tires are low. You can also pull over to gas stations and use free air to get yourself to a safe place to change a tire. If you have a car problem, keep driving until you are pulling over somewhere that’s away from traffic and unsafe places like bridges.

On the slight chance that you have pulled over somewhere unsafe or in a dangerous area, you can always carry a small amount of mace in your kit. This should keep you from danger and won’t expire in a hot trunk. In general, leaving the vehicle to look for help is a bad idea because you would be away from potential supplies and can become lost. If possible, call for help and use your GPS to have emergency vehicles come to you. 

How do I maintain my car emergency kit?

You want to check the expiration dates on any food kits. Medical kits generally tend to last long, but some first aid medicine can expire. It’s a good idea to check the kit on the first of every year, or a memorable preset date. When you go through the tool kits, look and make sure nothing has been damaged or rusted. If you have removed anything (remember to check the blankets, those are usually removed for activities like watching fireworks or someone is cold), then replace them. If you can’t remember what goes in the emergency kit, try making a list and then match up the items. 

Where should I store my emergency car kit? 

Most people put the kit in their trunk in a box or storage container. It’s wise to keep it away from the inside of your car because you might have kids or curious people in your vehicle at some point. If people are rifling through your emergency kit, there’s a chance they could misplace something. In the event of a real emergency, this could be a serious issue. Therefore, we definitely suggest putting it in the trunk and using a plastic container or small bin to keep it from being exposed to rain or snow when the trunk is open.