In this Post
–Car Emergency Kit Supplies
–Prepare For Roadside Emergencies
Emergencies can occur anytime and anywhere without any warning, which is why we should always plan things ahead of time to tackle them. Especially, when you are on the move, make sure your car has a properly equipped emergency kit with all the essential medical supplies and tools that can be used to medically assist someone, fix your car, or just anything that may help you get back on the road as soon as possible in case of an emergency situation. So, if you don’t exactly know about the items you should make a part of your car emergency toolkit, we’re here to help. In this blog, we will list down and discuss all the essential items for your car emergency kit that could save someone’s life.
Essential Items for Your Car Emergency Kit
Some of the must-have items for your car emergency kit have been listed as under
- Spare Tire
- Basic Toolkit
- Medical First Aid Box
- Emergency Lights
- Reflective Triangles
- Working Internet
- Physical Road Map
- Phone Charger or Powerbank
- Blankets
- Mineral Water Bottle
Spare Tire
While on the road, you never know when any of the tires of your vehicle may go flat. So, if you want to prepare for a roadside emergency that involves a flat tire, then you should always keep a spare tire in the trunk of your car. Make sure that it is properly inflated and not damaged. Since it will be your only replacement for your deflated tire and will help you keep going on your journey. A car emergency toolkit with wheel wrench and jack may also come in handy in such a situation about which we are going to discuss next in detail.
Basic Toolkit
There are a number of ways to prepare for roadside emergencies and having a car emergency toolkit with you is among the most important ones. Your basic toolkit should essentially have combination wrenches, set of sockets, wheel wrench, a couple of screwdrivers, jack, different pairs of pliers as well as an assortment of special-purpose tools like an oil filter wrench, and a pair of safety stands.
Medical First Aid Kit
Similar to the items we listed down for the medical emergency kit for your home in our blog, the items for your car first-aid kit should also consist of different types of medical supplies and band-aids. The essential list of items for your car first-aid kit may include band-aids, cotton balls, antiseptic ointment, elastic bandages, surgical tape, safety pins, scissors, medicines, tweezers, antiseptic solution, thermometer, pain relief ointments, hot water bottle, cold packs, gloves and medical equipment to check blood pressure.
Emergency Lights
Sometimes your car may break down in the middle of the road and it’s completely dark outside. So, one of the best tips on how to prepare for a roadside emergency is to keep a couple of emergency lights or flashlights along with you. Make sure these car emergency kit supplies of yours have enough batteries so that you can easily fix whatever part of your car that has been broken or replace a deflated tire with the spare one.
Handy Tip: You can also use these emergency lights along with the indicators of your car to call out for help by sending out a distress signal.
Reflective Triangle
Along with the emergency lights and car indicators, one of the must-have items for your car emergency kit is a reflective triangle. It can be visible to other vehicles and people from miles and may notify the passing by traffic that you may be in need of help. You can place a reflective triangle on road, a few feet away from your car for its better visibility.
Physical Road Map
Now that you have a google map for almost every other road in the country, there are fewer chances that you can ever get lost while travelling these days. However, things can go seriously wrong if your internet stops working or your digital device stops responding. So, to tackle such a situation, a physical road map is considered one of the most important items you need to have in a car emergency kit.
Working Internet
Nowadays, the availability of 3G and 4G internet connections on your sim and other types of mobile broadband devices in Pakistan is quite common. These mobile devices provide high-speed internet connectivity on the go. This is why having a working internet connection is one of the important items you need in your car emergency kits. It is one of the ways to prepare for a road emergency effectively since working internet connection may let you track your location if you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and that you can let others know about your whereabouts while using multiple social channels.
Pro Tip: Since physical road maps are not easily available these days as they are not commonly used anymore, you can take a print out of a google map of the route you will be taking for your road trip. It is how to prepare for a road emergency effectively.
Travel Charger and Powerbanks
Travel chargers are easily available in the market and are specifically designed to keep your phone’s battery running while you are on the road. They and powerbanks are the must-haves for your car emergency kit. Travel charges can be easily plugged into the electrical switch on the dashboard of your car. One of the best ways to prepare yourself for roadside emergencies is to fully charge your powerbanks and mobile devices you are carrying before you head out for your desired road trip.
Blankets
If you are travelling in a colder region, then don’t forget to include blankets when working on tips to make your own car emergency kit. This is how you can stay warm and in the worst case scenario, covering yourself in a blanket can protect you from hypothermia. This is why we have mentioned blankets among the most essential items for your car emergency kits, depending on the region you live in.
Mineral Water Bottle
It is recommended to store at least one gallon of water or water bottles equivalent to that quantity. You may have enough space in the trunk of your car to store all those water bottles. Water supply is essential for your health. It may prevent you from dehydration and may let you survive for days even if you are stranded in the middle of nowhere, waiting for help. So, don’t forget to make mineral water bottles a part of your car emergency toolkit while working on tips on how to prepare for roadside emergencies.
How to Prepare for a Roadside Emergency?
Some of the most useful ways to prepare for a roadside emergency have been listed as under:
- Prepare Your Car
- Think About Your Comfort
- Your Safety
- Prepare for Extreme Emergencies
Prepare Your Car
A long road trip can often be really tough on your car, so before you head out for it, make sure you have stocked up on all the necessary supplies it will need to run in case something breaks down. Don’t forget to stock up on small quantities of the necessary fluids like motor oil, brake fluid, power-steering fluid, automatic transmission fluid, battery fluids, and antifreeze.
Think of Your Comfort
If you know you have to travel for a longer period of time, then while working on tips to make your own car emergency kit, you must also think of taking some of your seating cushions and small pillows as well as sleeping bags and warm clothes along with you. This will prevent you from feeling tired, lethargic, and exposed to cold weather conditions.
Your Safety
When thinking about safety when working on ways to prepare for an emergency on a road trip, we should add up all the necessary medical supplies to our car emergency kit as mentioned above. It is that you should also list down the contact details of all the emergency services in Pakistan and call them for help, depending on their availability around your current location.
Prepare for Extreme Emergencies
If you are wondering how to create your own car emergency kit the right way, then your focus should also be on measures you may need to take in extreme emergency situations. So, never miss out on making flares, flashlights and reflective triangles and vests a part of your car emergency toolkit. Also, have a phone directory of all the key contact numbers of the authorities patrolling the route you are travelling on.
Quick Fact: In Pakistan, the National Highway Authority has a designated force known as National Highways and Motorways Police (NH&MP) patrolling a majority of the major road links across the country.
These were some of the important items you need to have in your car emergency kit and ways to prepare for an emergency on a road trip, which will keep you and your family safe out on roads. For any questions or feedback in this regard, don’t hesitate to contact us at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, you may also be interested in reading more about driving tips for rainy weather and ways to prepare your home for rain as the monsoon season will be approaching soon.
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