People tend to hoard a lot of things in their car, which isn’t so bad considering that we spend a lot of time on the road. But before anything else, make sure you have emergency-essentials in your trunk first. A driver can bail out of a lot of sticky situations if he plans ahead. More often than not, things go south on you when you think nothing could go wrong. So it pays to hope for the best and plan for the worst, especially on the road. Here are some things that should always be kept in your car for all those just in case moments.
1. Jumper Cables
Being stranded with a dead battery sucks. Having these bad boys in your trunk will save your day. They should at least let you get by and look for the nearest car repair if the case of your battery is more complex.
2. First-Aid Kit
Road crash statistics says that there’s an average 3,287 deaths a day, which could mean fatal car accidents occur every 15 minutes. Needless to say a first-aid kit is a definitely a must have in your glove box or back seat.
3. Tire Repair Kit
Who hasn’t had a moment of frustration with a flat tire before? Basically anyone who drives a car can relate to this. This makes tire repair kits available, whenever the situation calls for it, more that reasonable. Car repair shops aren’t always available, so it’d be better if you can fend for your own tires.
4. Flashlight
This is probably very basic. But yeah, smack your head on the dashboard if you don’t have it in your glove box when you need to check your engine in the middle of nowhere at the middle of the night.
5. Water And Non-Perishable Snacks
Emergency kits shouldn’t only contain stuff for your car, how about you? If your car needs fuel, you need to be fed too.
6. Hazard Triangles/Roadside Flares
These will let other motorist know there’s an accident or stalled car up ahead so they can slow down or re-route.
7. Cellphone Charger
At this day and age, you should always make sure your phone can make a call when you need to since not many places still have pay phones. Have your charger or power bank in handy in case your phone dies.
8. Insurance Information And Vehicle Registration
Nobody wants to be caught in a collision, but when you’re already there you will surely need both of these. You don’t want to be in a desperate situation and not have legal documents to at least help you with damages and clearing your name, just in case.
9. Disposable Camera And Notebook
The police officers will thank you for taking pictures and notes in case of an accident before they arrive. Trust me, you didn’t just help them, you also made your case stronger.
10. Emergency Cash
Unexpected toll and emergency gas can be hefty. It helps to have a stash fund for them, especially when you’re out of cash.
11. Glass Hammer/Seat belt Cutter “Life Hammer”
This can literally save your life, hence the name. It can cut seat belt after an accident or break glass from inside if water enters the car.
12. GPS And Map
Not all cars have built-in navigation system. Therefore you’ll find a map or GPS handy when you are headed somewhere you’re not familiar. This should keep you from going around circles and get to your destination. Don’t be that person who insists on relying on his inner compass, they’re usually the ones who get lost.
13. Oil
You should have at least a quart or two of oil as emergency supply, especially if your car requires a specific kind of oil. This should help you run your vehicle further in a safe zone when it suddenly stops in the middle of the highway.
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