Beginning today, changes in the mandatory equipment apply. So what does it include, what has changed? What other useful gadgets are useful to have in your car?
As of 1 October 2018, changes in the mandatory equipment apply. It will no longer be necessary to carry some of the existing parts that were in it unnecessarily. However, you still have to keep the prescribed items in your car. If you are stopped by the police and you do not have any of these things with you, you are at risk of fining and withdrawing points.
So what is changing?
For passenger cars, spare fuses and bulbs disappear from the mandatory equipment. The reason is quite simple. The practice has shown that most drivers were unable to cope with self-help replacement and had entrusted it to their service. “For modern vehicles equipped with LED technology and xenon headlamps, replacement bulbs are practically meaningless,” adds Michal Knor of Auto Kelly.
Other deleted items relate to jack, nut wrench, and spare wheel. Here, however, this applies only to cars that are equipped with Run Flat tires and the ability to detect a puncture electronically. Furthermore, cars equipped with means for the disassembly of the puncture. Alternatively, for vehicles with assisted assistance.
The first aid kit was also changed. There is no worry about the expiration time and only the bandage with one cushion, bandage with two cushions, smooth patch (reel), throttle bandage, rubber gloves (latex) and isothermal foil with min. 200 x 140 cm and scissors. Items such as a three-pointed scarf, a cushion patch and a plastic mask disappeared from the medicine chest.
The rest of the mandatory equipment remains unchanged. First, it is a reflective vest. It should be stored near the driver (in the door), where it can easily be pulled out before leaving the car and can be put on immediately. From the moment the driver enters the road, it is easier to see and there is no risk of being hit by another car.
There is also a warning triangle. This aid makes it clear to other drivers that something is happening a few meters away, allowing them to adjust their speed and caution in the situation. Place the warning triangle outside the village 50 meters behind the car, in the village, the distance may be shorter. The motorway should be at least 100 meters away.
Gadgets beyond the mandatory equipment
Forms – surely we wouldn’t go anywhere without a document called a Traffic Accident Record, which should be completed in the event of a traffic accident.
Jumper cables – can help solve problems with a discharged battery for you or another driver in need. Especially in winter. In general, it is worth not to save on the length of the cables or the diameter of the conductor.
Fire extinguisher – in our country it is not necessary to carry it, in many European countries it is mandatory or at least recommended. If you decide to buy it, you can choose between a fire extinguisher spray (lasts only for a short time), a classic powder fire extinguisher (cheap and efficient) and a halotron fire extinguisher (expensive but does not damage fine electronics). And if you happen to be forced to use the fire extinguisher on a burning engine, do not open the bonnet fully (the fire gets oxygen and spreads more quickly, also, the risk of burns increases), just try to open it and extinguish through the crack.
Flashlight – fits in all circumstances, ideally headlamp, but even a classic flashlight, for example, when you change the night bike certainly come in handy.
Work gloves – you won’t get your hands dirty when you change your bike (or driver) in distress.
Reflective vest for every passenger-only one reflective vest is mandatory on Czech roads, although the need to leave the vehicle at an inappropriate place may arise even when it is fully occupied. Carrying multiple vests for everyone in the car may be inconvenient (especially in the interior, so that they are at hand before getting out of the car), but sensible. And when you go abroad, requiring one reflective vest with reflective material per person, you will not be surprised by the sudden roadside check.
Basic tools and knife – they can also be used by less skilled people. Only with the wheel key is not enough in all situations.
Parking clock – it’s more convenient than writing the arrival time on paper in case of limited parking time (with parking disc).
Blanket or mat – suitable for covering an injured person in an accident or when you need to check the area under the vehicle and do not want to get dirty.
Car Charger – There are situations where the car shuts down in the middle of the night, and the mobile phone shows the last one percent of the battery.
Water – ideally a bottle of distilled water for the radiator (beware – pour only into the cold engine), spare water for washers and a bottle of drinking water for acute dehydration or rinsing.
Engine oil – as apparent banality as the oil level in the engine, almost no one now checks, but from time to time it pays to blink under the hood. Oil is naturally disappearing from the engine, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. In crises, when the engine leaks strongly, you have at least a chance to get to the nearest service center with occasional refueling breaks.
On-board camera – absolutely key issue in proving fault in an accident. You can also share some videos with greater or lesser success on social networks.
Online Navigation – Navigation is a great tool (not only) for road repairs, which can report closures and columns.
The tow rope is not mandatory equipment, but it can help both you and the other driver in need.
Snow chains – in summer, of course, it makes no sense to carry chains with you. In any case, once or twice a year there is a situation where it is impossible to dig up without chains.
Window scraper – available in many variations, perhaps in combination with a sleeve when you don’t have gloves. In winter, moreover, the scraper is mandatory because you need to have sufficient visibility from the vehicle.
Snowbrush – together with a scraper is essential in winter. Remember that when driving, you must not have ice or snow on the vehicle which, when released, could endanger road safety.
Belt cutter – today’s cars offer a high level of safety, but they are still machines that cannot be expected to operate normally under abnormal conditions (in an accident). So it may well happen that you simply do not unfasten the seat belt as many times before. And at that moment, a belt cutter is handy. The “handy” part of the sentence is important, not in the trunk or the front passenger compartment.
Canister – when the fuel runs out, it’s good to go on a journey with the canister. What if it was not on the nearest gas stations not in the range?