You already know that you should have a spare tire and tools in your car, but most people aren’t prepared for any other emergencies. Here, we’ll list 10 things you should keep in your car in case of an emergency situation.
a. Extra food and water.
Keep some nonperishable food and bottled water in a cool area of your car – waiting for help or fixing your car can dehydrate you and make you hungry!
b. Extra fuel.
Keep a liter or two of fuel in an approved gas can in your car. You never know when your gas light might malfunction and give you the wrong reading. Worse, you might need to drive somewhere in an emergency, and you don’t want to be completely out of gas.
c. Battery jumper cables.
Always keep jumper cables in your car; better yet, if you can get hold of an external battery box, keep it around so that you can boost your own car without needing to depend on someone else.
d. Road maps.
This is the era of GPS, but it’s also the era of faulty electronics. Ink-and-paper maps never have batter problems!
e. Sturdy rope or chain.
In addition to your tool kit, keep one of these – you never know what kind of situation it might help in.
f. Shovel.
Even on paved roads, you might hit a ditch and need to dig your car out.
g. Flashlight.
Remember to keep a flashlight that does not require batteries in your car. Whether you need to do repairs or fix up a wound, you don’t want to be doing it at night without any light.
h. Brightly colored rain gear.
If you need to pull over in bad weather, make sure others can see you when you’re working on your car.
i. Documentation.
Keep your insurance information, registration, and emergency contact information in your glove compartment or another place in which someone else can access it at all times.
j. First aid kit.
This is probably the most important thing you can have in your car, but many people never get one. Get a standard first aid kit or make your own by looking online for a list of things to put together. If you or your family members have allergies or other medical conditions, keep their emergency medications in the kit, and make sure any prescriptions are current at all times.