You don’t want to be that motorist stuck in a floating car under a bridge after a sudden, intense downpour. Storms, accidents, and just plain bad luck can create dangerous situations for drivers. Even if you’re sure you’ll never find yourself in a serious situation in your auto, it’s important to know what to keep in your car for emergencies.
The Basics
Prepared drivers already have a flashlight, jumper cables, a basic tool kit, and a flat tire kit or sealant in the car. The flashlight (don’t forget the extra batteries) can go in the glove box, and the cables and kit go in the trunk or the back of the SUV. You’ll need a jack and a lug wrench, too, if you have a spare tire. If you don’t, your car may come equipped with a flat-fixing kit. Keep a pump in the car to get a minor flat back up to enough pressure to get you to the shop without ruining your rims. Add a first aid kit, bottled water, a blanket, and a good pair of gloves, and that should cover most of the basics.
Also, consider a supply of non-perishable snacks and an empty gas container to carry with you to the station if you run out of fuel. Most gas stations will also offer these for sale, but you might prefer a different size, so get one you could walk with when it is full, and keep it empty in the trunk. You really don’t want fumes in the cabin and gasoline sloshing around in the boot.
Some other fluids, however, might be okay to keep in a box back there, such as wiper fluid and some WD-40. Don’t forget some duct tape, too. As we all know, duct tape fixes almost everything. Also, keep a comfortable pair of walking shoes in the car. Walking two miles to a gas station or changing a tire in stilettos is no fun.
The “Hey, I Should Have Thought of That” Things
Supplement the car charger for your phone with an extra, long-lasting charging source. These come in a variety of styles, from baton shapes to discs. You can charge them at home and then use them to charge a phone in the absence of any other source—a car charger typically won’t work if the car won’t start, so a backup will come in handy. Solar chargers are also a good choice.
Emergency flares alert other drivers to stalls or breakdowns. In a perfect world, these would only happen on well-lit, broad-shouldered roads. Sometimes, though, it seems like cars have their own evil sense of humor, and they decide to break down on a curve or in the middle of the night on an unlit, two-lane ribbon of pavement.
An all-purpose multi-tool can take the place of many of the heavier tools in your toolbox. Specialty tools to keep in the car for emergencies include a vehicle escape tool that can break tempered glass. You must know, however, what kind of glass your car’s windows are made of because many vehicles have laminated side windows, which escape tools don’t work on.
Accidents cause damage that you can’t fix yourself on the side of the road, such as bent, dented, or cracked wheels. The Wheelership can supply replacements for your 2015 Honda Accord wheels or almost any other recent (and even not so recent) makes and models.