Driving your car around town may be fun, but what do you do when something goes wrong with it? Are you prepared to handle an accident involving a passenger, or having a flat tire on an isolated road? Most vehicle owners know that they need to have their driver’s license and their proof of insurance in the car, but what else do you have on hand? Here are three items you should have in your car, in case of an emergency.
A First Aid Kit
On the road, multiple scenarios could lead to your needing a first aid kit; an accident could occur, someone in the car could have an allergic reaction to something, or you could have a headache that makes it impossible to drive. Whatever the case, the DfT has made it mandatory for vehicle owners to have a first aid kit in their cars. They are available for sale in prepackaged kits, or you can make your kit – using items you buy in a store. If you assemble it yourself, make sure that your kit contains different types and sizes of bandages, cotton swabs, hand sanitizers, gauze, aspirin, allergy medication, and any other type of medication that might be needed by you or your family.
An Internet-Enabled Smartphone and a USB Car Charger
In our modern age, having a working cellphone is essential in an emergency. Access to the internet means that you never have to worry about getting lost (thanks to online mapping systems) and that you can always reach someone who will help you in the event of an emergency. A good idea is to keep a working spare phone in your car, just in case you are in an emergency and something has happened to your main phone.
If you do not want to spend the extra money on a phone, another option is to buy and keep a USB car charger from Spares2you in your car. With that, you can easily keep the battery of your cellphone fully charged at all times and not have to worry about running out of cellphone juice in the middle of an emergency.
A Spare Tire
One of the worst things that can happen to a driver is having a flat tire on an isolated road with no spare tire in the boot. It is extremely important that any car being driven not only has a spare tire inside it but also that the driver knows exactly how to change the tires. Changing a flat tire is simple. It only requires a few tools – a tire iron, a jack, a pipe, and a wrench. With those tools in hand and a little bit of elbow grease, removing a flat tire and replacing it with a spare is one of the easiest tasks ever.
Just as with most things in life, driving a car can be a risky endeavour. Make sure you keep these items in your car so that you are not stuck out on the road one day, with no spare tire or phone to call for help.
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