If you get a flat tyre, your car battery dies, or severe weather forces you off the road, will you be prepared?
You may already keep essentials such as a petrol can and torch in your car, but what else should you have on hand?
Even if you pay for a roadside assistance service, here are some essential items to keep in your car in case of emergency.
First Aid kit
Having some form of first aid kit on board your car can be the difference between life and death. Whether you’re involved in an accident and you, your passenger or someone else is injured, or someone takes ill, having the tools available to cope with this emergency is crucial.
You can buy a small first aid kit for less than £10 which should include the following items:
- Alcohol-free wipes
- Plasters
- Dressing
- Bandages
- Gloves
- Tape
- Scissors
- Safety pins
- First aid blanket
Carrying a first aid kit in a car or vehicle can not only prove to be crucial in the event of a serious accident, but also in minor mishaps such as cuts, scrapes and burns. The kit serves as an essential means of giving assistance to an injured person until further medical help arrives.
Warning triangle
If you happen to break down, The Highway Code states that you should put a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind your vehicle. Most of the time putting your hazard lights on will be enough to alert other road users if your car is causing an obstruction.
However, for a few pounds you can get a suitable warning triangle, which will often come with a hi-vis vest too. Should the time come where your car breaks down or you need to pull over on a high-speed road in an emergency, these items will come in handy. If you’re on the hard shoulder waiting for help, for example, it’s advised that you wait outside your vehicle on the other side of the barriers.
It is essential to remember that you should NEVER use a warning triangle on a motorway and take great care when placing and retrieving them.
Jumper cables
A dead battery is a fairly common (although very frustrating!) malfunction that motorists face. Jumpstarting a car is quite an easy and effective process in case the two following conditions are observed – there is someone near you with a running engine who is willing to help and you are in ownership of jumper cables.
However, when attempting this, the most important thing is making sure you DO NOT mix up the leads. A positive terminal must connect to a positive terminal, negative to negative. Do not switch them around. A helpful hint to prevent this is that the colour red is associated with positive and black with negative.
Handbook
By keeping your user manual in the glovebox, you’ll have all the information about your car to hand whenever you need it. Yes, it’s usually an incredibly dense read, and you can usually find everything you need to know online, but to protect against patchy mobile network signal or misinformation on the web, it’s always worth keeping your manual in the dash.
Food and water
Whether you store a case of water bottles or a few jugs in your boot, water will do more than quench your thirst. You can also use water to clean oil off your clothes or pour into your radiator if your car overheats. If you are heading on a long car journey, it is also worthwhile placing some snacks in the boot in case of a breakdown.
When it comes to driving, preparation is key. Before embarking on a long journey, it is worth running a series of checks on your car to ensure it is equipped for the drive and in good shape. It might even be worth booking your car in for a service.
Here at Bodymek, we advise you to always be prepared, be properly equipped, drive responsibly, and stay safe on the roads.
If you need any help or assistance with getting your car prepped, contact our Northamptonshire garage today on 01604 589179.
