What if you had a sudden traffic situation? What you have in your car can save your life.
The simplest solution and the most obvious one is to call for assistance. But it may also take some time for them to come to your rescue, so while you weigh what to do, we advise you to always have these things in your car, whether you are traveling out of town or driving in it. They can help you continue your journey and may even save your life, writes Portal.
1) First Aid Box
Although it has long been mandatory in your car, it is often in poor condition or you have already “borrowed” something from it. Do not regret the money and make sure that it is always in perfect condition. It depends on you or someone else’s life.
2) Spare wheel and associated tool
It is also present in your car in most cases, but in what condition? Whether it’s the classic wheel dimension or the one just driving to the first vulcanizer, it’s all the same; both must be filled with air under proper pressure. Some cars have so-called run-flat tires and with them, you can get in the case of a tire breaker or repair shop and replace a damaged tire without removing it from your vehicle at the time of puncture.
However, if you are not lucky, you need to change the damaged wheel yourself, and this will require the proper tool – a crane and a key to unscrew and tighten the wheel nut or bolt. These two things are by no means separate because they are directly related to each other. Make sure you have everything you need for this type of case.
3) Air pump and air pressure gauge
These two are convenient to have, but this will only help if one or more tires on your car are bleeding. Use the pump to periodically replenish the air in the releasing tire so that you can get to a gas station to refuel with a compressor or quite safely to the only solution – a vulcanizer that will patch you or mount a new tire on your rim. The pumps can be manual or small portable electric air compressors that use the power from the socket in your car.
4) Warning triangle and safety reflective vest
When your car suddenly stops on the road, you will need these two things. Place the triangle behind the vehicle at a safe distance to alert drivers who may encounter your stopped car. Also, when getting out of your car, make sure you bring on a reflective vest with reflective tape to be visible to other road users. These two things are even more important in the case of reduced visibility, that is, at night, when it is raining, snowing or when it is fog. It would not be bad if you had some more reflective vest with reflective material for your passengers.
5) Set of spare bulbs
This, too, is a must-have car kit, but care should be taken to see if the light bulb set you to have in the car fits. The most common mistake is to take care of whether you have an H4 or H7 in the spare set, and your car in the headlights has the other type that is not in it.
Today’s cars already have LED lights or xenon bulbs as standard. In this case, these solutions are more durable and are mostly changed by authorized service professionals. For this occasion, you will hardly have a set of spare bulbs.
6) Manual on your car
This is a very underrated item, but it contains some useful tips ‘what if’! It also contains important information about e.g. the type of oil your engine uses, the type of fuel – if you don’t know, the type of bulbs, the fuse layout and what it is used for, the procedure for changing wheels or how to tow your vehicle if you have automatic transmission – must be set to N (neutral). It also provides instructions for each of your car’s systems. For those who know a little more about car mechanics, a professional service manual is always welcome.
7) Sandbag
If you get stuck on the ice far from any help? Cat sand or any kind of sand, if inserted under the drive wheels, works wonders. Also, if oil or other greasy fluid leaks from your car, it poses a potential danger to other drivers. Don’t be lazy – sprinkle the road behind your “mess”.
8) Geographic map
In today’s digital age, we are all dependent on the “signal”, but what if you are away from the network? A geographical map can very well serve to determine how far you are from the nearest civilization and possible assistance.