10 Things You Should Carry In Your Car In case Of An Emergency
With the weather not so great at the moment I thought I should Write a hub on what you should carry in your car in case of emergency. Being a petrol head I would carry a full set of tools and overalls if I could but there are a few things that you should carry regardless of your mechanical knowledge especially on long journeys. Basics are, to make sure you have a pumped up spare tyre,wheel brace and jack. Breakdown cover is a must also and can be bought on your current car insurance policy this is ideal if you have an older car as some of the big names in recovery won't cover older cars if you go to them direct. The items im going to cover can be tucked away in the boot.
There are some excellent products out there that will get you out of trouble quickly especially if you are own. It can be quite scary if your in an area own your own or with the kids and your car has a got a flat battery or flat tyre. Obviously you should have breakdown cover no matter what age or condition of your car. Here are 10 things you should carry when going on a long journey.
- Jump Pack : These are portable 12 volt battery packs that fit in the boot of your car. These have small jump leads on them that connect to your battery and then give your flat battery the extra juice to start your car again If you was unfortunate to be stranged with a flat battery. An excellent product that you can use on your own. They also have extra gadgets on them too, like a torch, tyre inflater and some carry a few tools.
- Fuel Can: Very annoying if you run out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. It is illegal to carry fuel in your car in a plastic fuel can. Just make sure you've got one.
- Drinking Water: Make sure you carry a 2 litre bottle of drinking in the boot at all times, this so that if your car over heats you have water to cool it but also if you get stuck in traffic you can drink it.
- Tow Rope: Something you think you'll never need but they come in very handy.
- Jump Leads: If you do have a flat battery and have someone who is willing to help you, its no good if neither of you have jump leads.
- Money: Obvious really, can be as little as a fiver, so that you can buy fuel or make a phone call.
- Phone Charger: 12volt phone charger ( one that runs of your cigerette lighter ) these are very cheap. Make sure you leave it in the car.
- Blanket: If theres nothing you can do and have to leave your car on the hard shoulder it can be nippy standing by the motorway.
- Hi Vis Vest: An obvious one but a legal requirment when driving in France. These are aslo good if you get stuck on the hard shoulder at night.
- Tyreweld : Worth its weight in gold, this stuff can re inflate a punctured tyre saving you from having to change the wheel at the side of the road.Simply screw the nossel to the tyre valve press the button and let the contents do its work. If you have a nail or screw in your tyre this stuff will work, it won't work on blow outs. Don't drive long distance with a tyre inflated and sealed with tyre weld just let it get you to the nearest tyre garage.
You should have a jack, wheel brace, and fully inflated, road legal spare wheel as standard in your car boot. Check this before you go on a long journey. Sometimes our cars give up and theres nothing we can do about it but if you have some, if not all of the above you will be able to get yourself out of many tricky situations.