Whether you’re just popping up the road to get some milk or trekking across the country for a road trip, once you’re out the front door, there’s no telling what situations you may find yourself in. We can often find ourselves in tricky situations, and it’s not always easy to know what to do, especially when you're away from the comforting safety of your own home.
To help you always be prepared and ready for whatever life may throw at you, we’ve created the ultimate car survival checklist, complete with everything that you’ll need to help you along the road should you ever find yourself in a jam.
Car Documents
Before starting off on any journey, it’s absolutely essential that you keep a number of motoring documents on hand within your car. Though many people make the mistake of thinking that all they need is their driver’s license, there are in fact a couple of other important documents that should be stored safely and securely within your vehicle. On top of your license, you also legally need to be able to provide both a copy of your vehicle’s registration and proof of insurance, as it's important that you can produce these documents when requested.
A Map
With the rise of Sat Navs and Google Maps, for many people these days maps are more or less irrelevant. After all, who wants to waste time faffing around with lots of paper and trying to follow all those complicated squiggly lines? However, by choosing to completely put your faith in technology, you’re not accounting for any faults, breakages or other technological problems that may arise. By keeping a map handy and ready in your car, you’ll always be ready and prepared to make it to your destination, ensuring you never get lost again.
Tyre Inflator and Sealer
One of the most common causes for breakdowns on the road is a tyre puncture. Luckily, there’s also a quick and easy solution for fixing it. With a tyre pump and a sealer, you can be back up and ready on the road in no time, all without having to call for any external help. By packing an inflator and tyre sealer, you could be saving yourself a whole lot of time and hassle.
De-Icer & Ice Scraper
Since we live in Britain, it’s a grim reality that bad weather is more or less inevitable. Rain, wind and cold are all apart of the daily forecast, and as such it's important to be constantly ready for winter weather. One of the most important and frequently needed items is therefore a de-icer. If you are far away from home on a cold day and leave your car (even for a moment), you can often come back to find that the windows are completely frozen over and you’re unable to drive. In order to prepare yourself against the harsh British weather, keep some de-icer on hand and you’ll never get caught out.
Related: Quick Ways to De-Ice Your Car
A First Aid Kit
Although we may not like to think about it, accidents and injuries happen everyday both on and off the road, and there’s not always anything we can do to avoid them. Therefore, as well as being extra vigilant and cautious while driving, it's also important to be prepared and ready in case the worst should happen. You never know when and where you’ll need medical help, and if you can’t immediately find assistance, it may be necessary to attend to any injuries yourself. Keep a fully stocked first aid kit ready and on hand and you can rest assured that you’ll be prepared no matter what.
Some Water and Non-Perishable Food
Having water and food stored in your car may seem unnecessary in a modern society where there’s a seemingly never ending supply of shops and convenience stores but you may be surprised at just how handy this little stash may be. If you’ve broken down far away from any shops, or found yourself stranded and stuck in your vehicle, you may be all too grateful to have some food and water on hand whilst you wait for help, especially if you’re in a situation where you have to wait for a long time. Keep a couple of water bottles and some energy bars in your car; you may be very thankful of it later.
A Torch
The ultimate trusty survival tool, a torch is an incredibly useful piece of equipment to have to hand in your car. Lighting your way in the dark, if you happen to break down at night, a torch can not only help you to see your engine and potentially fix any problems, but it can also help increase your visibility to other drivers. Offering safety, visibility and even comfort, a torch is a must for any car.
A Reflective Triangle
Perhaps one of the most underused pieces of safety equipment, a reflective triangle is a must for any car survival pack. If you find yourself broken down along a road, a reflective triangle works by alerting other drivers to your situation, warning them in advance so they can maneuver around and away from you. Along busy roads with high speed limits, having a reflective triangle could potentially save your life, and this makes it worth every penny.
A Blanket
As well as being wet and miserable, British weather is also renowned for being bitterly cold, especially during the winter time where it’s not uncommon for temperatures to reach freezing point, or even lower. In order to keep yourself protected against the cruel British weather, make sure that your car has a warm blanket, we guarantee you won’t regret it.
Jump Cables
If you’re ever in a rush or need to be somewhere quickly, it’s inevitable that that’s the moment your car battery will run flat. Luckily, in order to get your car back up and running again, whether it’s an electric car or not, all you’ll need is a jumpstart from another car. By ensuring that your car has some jump cables handy, you’ll never have to worry about dead car batteries again. Just make sure you familiarise yourself with how to jumpstart a car first!
If you’re finding yourself constantly needing to use your reflective triangle, or pump up your tyres, then it may be time to get a new car. Why not contact one of our friendly expert team today? We’re always on hand to help you in any way we can.
