Whether you’re planning a long road trip or just commuting to work, there are certain scenarios that all car drivers universally want to avoid — flat tires, dead batteries, engine fires to name a few. In the United States, there are actually 220 million reported flat tires a year, according to Tire Grades.
Luckily, there are items you can store in your car for these types of emergencies, keeping you safe and getting you back on the road. We’ve compiled a collection of the most useful emergency items for your car that we feel are must-haves.
How We Chose These Items
I selected these emergency items based on advice I’ve been given, emergency items I’ve used myself, and ones that I’ve heard of.
When combined, it creates a complete stash of emergency items in your car that will work for all types of situations, from something as common as a flat tire to something as dramatic as your car getting submerged in water.
Something For Small Accidents
Having a first aid kit in your car is almost a must-have. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden headache while driving or a deep cut while working on your car, a first aid kit ensures you’re always prepared. American Red Cross recommends the following items for your first aid kit:
- Bandages in assorted sizes
- Absorbent compress dressings
- Adhesive cloth tape
- Antiseptic wipe packets
- Packets of aspirin
- Instant cold compress
- Non-latex gloves
- Roller bandage
- Gauze roll bandage
- Tweezers
A Way to Keep Tires Safe
It may not seem too urgent when your “check tire” light comes on, but having your tires at a low pressure can not only shorten their lifespan but also create dangerous situations while driving. According to Car and Driver, this includes a worsened grip on slippery and wet roads as well as the tire completely failing.
Your tire pressure should be checked at least once a month. Keep a way to check your tire pressure in the car. Then, if you find out that your tire pressure is too low, a portable inflator will allow you to fill it up to a preset pressure without needing to stop at a gas station.
Something to Keep You Warm
Every car should have a blanket in the backseat or trunk. Whether you find yourself stranded on the side of the road in cold weather or need something to kneel on while changing a tire, a blanket is a very versatile item to have on hand.
A subreddit dedicated to living in your car, drivers (homeowners?) suggested having a blanket to hang over windows when parked somewhere overnight. This can keep out the cold as well as sunlight.
A Way to Sleep Comfortably
In the same vein, if you find yourself ever needing to stay in your car overnight, it can be very useful to have a sleeping bag or blow-up bed handy. Able to be easily rolled up and stored, sleeping bags can be taken out to provide you with a warmer way to sleep inside your car while camping or on a long drive.
A goose-down and water-resistant sleeping bag option may cost a bit more, but it will provide you with extra warmth over synthetic options while protecting you against moisture. If you have more room for a blow-up bed, there are ones made specifically to fit into the backseat comfortably.
A Way to Charge Your Phone
No horror movie is complete without everyone’s cell phones running out of battery while on a winding, dark road through an unknown area. To avoid your phone dying on long drives, consider keeping a collection of phone chargers in your car, either in the glove compartment or the center console.
Your phone is your connection to maps and emergency contacts, so you never want to let it completely die while driving. Check out the type of charger you need for your car and keep it handy. For longer road trips, you may even consider a portable charger that allows you to charge your devices even when your car is off.
Something to Help You See When It’s Dark
Keeping a high-powered flashlight in your car can make all the difference if you end up getting lost or needing to replace a tire at night.
Make sure you also have extra batteries on hand, or choose a flashlight that can be charged in your car in emergencies.
A Way to Start Your Battery
Keeping jumper cables in your car is a lifesaver. However, you won’t always find yourself in an area with other cars around. If that’s the case, you won’t need to panic if you have a portable jump starter, which allows you to jump-start your battery without the need for another vehicle.
Make sure you always charge your portable jumpstarter before a long drive. That way, it will always have enough juice to jump-start your car if you find it dead while on the road.
Something to Warn Other Drivers
If your car ever breaks down on the side of the road, your biggest danger is the fact that your car lights may not be on anymore. Unsuspecting or distracted drivers may end up hitting your car as it gets darker.
To combat this, lighting road flares can adequately warn other vehicles of your poor predicament so they can drive around you.
A Way to Clear Away Ice and Snow
If you live in a colder area or are planning a trip during the winter, an ice scraper is essential to keep in your car. Back when I lived in Connecticut, it could get so cold sometimes that ice could form on my car’s windshield while I was parked outside a friend’s house or at work.
By having an ice scraper with me, I could safely remove the ice without damaging my windshield, saving myself some time rather than just waiting for the ice to thaw from blasting heat.
Something to Dig Out Your Car
One time for Hanukkah, my dad gifted me the most boring present imaginable — a shovel with a retractable handle to fit into the trunk of my car. While I wasn’t jumping for joy at the sight of it, I have to admit that it saved my butt one time, and I’ve been thankful for it ever since — I can’t even bring myself to take it out of my car now that I live in Los Angeles (because you never know).
While driving to the doctor during a snowstorm (we did that in New England, don’t judge), my car slid on ice and ended up in a pile of snow on the side of the road. I used the shovel to dig my car’s tires out and was able to get back onto the road and make it to the appointment.
A Way to Stop a Fire
You don’t have to be a track demon to keep a fire extinguisher in your car. It’s recommended that you keep one in a spot that’s easily accessible while driving, just in case you find yourself in one of the 171,500 fires that occur while driving on the highway. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the biggest cause of vehicle fires from 2014 to 2016 was mechanical failure.
A fire extinguisher may feel like a dramatic item to bring with you on your next road trip, but it could end up saving your life.
Something For Emergency Repairs
Emergency roadside repairs can happen. You can save yourself from an expensive towing if you have the right tools handy to make some quick fixes. Here are some tools to have handy in your trunk at all times:
- Wrench set
- Screwdriver set
- Socket set
- Wire cutters and pliers
- Breaker bar
- Jack stand
- Floor jack
- Hammer
- Duct tape
A Way to Change Your Tire
Once upon a time, it was common for cars to come with a spare tire. Now, manufacturers have opted out of the practice to save you trunk space and reduce your car’s weight — or at least that’s what they claim.
If you want to be prepared for a possible tire change situation, however, you can add a spare tire to your trunk if you have the room. While tire durability has improved in recent years, that doesn’t mean there will never come a time when a spare tire comes in handy. A jack and the aforementioned tools will also make a huge difference.
Something to Make You Visible to Traffic
A reflective vest is similar to a road flare in the sense that it alerts other drivers to steer clear — except a reflective vest is meant to protect you rather than your car.
Choose a reflective vest with a bright, fluorescent color like pink or orange and reflective tape that is visible both during the day and night.
A Way to Escape a Sinking Car
Vehicle escape tools come in a wide range of styles and features, but the most important to have is the ability to cut seatbelts and break glass. According to AAA, there were around 8,000 vehicle crashes in 2017 that resulted in the car being partially or fully submerged.
“Drivers should pick a tool they feel comfortable with and find easy to use, but most importantly they should store it somewhere that is secure and within reach following a collision,” said AAA’s Director of Automotive Engineering Greg Bannon.
Stay Safe and Prepared
With all these emergency items in your car, you will be prepared for every situation that comes your way on the road.
From a tool kit when your car gets stuck on the side of the road to a flashlight and reflective vest if you need to find your way around safely at night, keeping these emergency items handy can help you stay on top of all kinds of situations.