Auto Emergency Kit – Are you prepared?

by: AJ Weisheipl

10 Items to Include in Your Kit

You’re driving on the highway when you notice that your car isn’t controlling as well as it normally would. So you pull over to find you have a flat tire. When you go to get your spare, you realize you don’t have the right tools! Nobody wants to be in this situation. This is why having a roadside emergency kit in your car is essential. Sure you could buy a roadside assistance membership, or add it to your insurance plan, but that costs more money and you still will have to wait on average an hour before help can arrive. “But what should I put in my roadside emergency kit” you ask? Well that’s the question I am here to answer. When it comes to making your kit, you have a couple options. You can build your own kit from scratch, buy a pre-assembled kit, or you could buy a kit and customize it to fit your needs. Whichever you choose it is important to make sure the following items are in your kit.

• Jumper cables
• Motor Oil
• Coolant
• Antifreeze
• Brake Fluid
• Various tools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, tire gauge, tire inflator flashlight and batteries, duct tape, ice scraper (a must in Wisconsin), and a wrench
• Triangle reflectors and flares (LED or normal)
• Gloves
• Funnel and rags
• Various medical supplies or a first aid kit (can also be purchased)

My suggestion would be to buy a kit that fits your needs, and add whatever you might be missing from above. This is an easier and possibly a more cost effective route than building one from scratch (depending on what premade kit you buy).  But you aren’t finished once you put your kit together. The most important thing to do once your kit is finished is to familiarize yourself with it. The last thing you want to happen (other than an emergency situation happening at all) is to be faced with an emergency that your kit could fix, but not be able to use the kit properly and end up calling for help anyways.

An emergency kit is a must in every car. Not only could it save you money and time, but the medical supplies you keep in there could also save a life.

Citations

Heaps, Russ. "20 Items You Should Include in Your Car Emergency Kit." 20 Items You Should Include in Your Car Emergency Kit. Bankrate, 4 May 2010. Web. 13 June 2016.

"How To Pack an Emergency Kit | DMV.org." DMV.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2016.

Reed, Phillip. "How To Create Your Own Roadside Emergency Kit."Edmunds. N.p., 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 13 June 2016.