Imagine one day you are driving down a windy road and suddenly you feel the steering wheel tug to the right. The next thing you know you are stuck in a ditch. The temperature is dropping, and it is getting dark outside. You walk outside to assess the damage, and you notice the front bumper is severely dented on the right side, and the two front tires are flat. If you have roadside assistance and phone service, then you are in luck. If you do not have phone service or roadside assistance, then you have to wait and hope that a nearby motorist will stop and help. It will be a long night if you do not have an emergency roadside kit on hand.
If nobody is able to get out and help you, a simple emergency road kit will keep you warm and hydrated until help arrives. The contents of an emergency road kit will depend on where you live, your driving habits, and the age of your vehicle. It is better to be overprepared than underprepared if you can help it. You should never skip out on food, water, and heat.
A simple, yet effective emergency kit will include any of the following items:
1) Jumper cables
2) Flashlight and spare batteries
3) First-aid kit
4) Towels
5) A few blankets
6) Ice scraper (if you live in an area that receives a lot of snow)
7) Energy bars and a few other snacks
8) A gallon of water
9) Some motor oil
Once all of the items are assembled together, they should be placed somewhere safe in your vehicle where they will not slide around. The emergency kit can be strapped down in the trunk or tucked away under a passenger seat. The items do not have to be placed in a toolbox or other heavy-duty box, a cardboard box will suffice.
Some retail shops and online stores will have an emergency car kit already prepackaged for sale.
If you ever find yourself in a potentially dangerous situation, it is always good to make sure that you are safe before diving straight into the emergency kit. If your car breaks down in the middle of the road or you are involved in a bad car crash, try your best to get off the road and out of harm’s way.