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Cold Winters… Pack your car for Emergencies

No matter how hard you try to be careful, you might come across a time during those cold winter months when trouble or an accident strikes while you are away from home in your car.  What should you keep in your car during those cold winter months to help you through those many situations? 

Here we are going to discuss various items that you should keep in your car, if not just for an emergency, but also because you can make your day a little easier should you come across someone that needs help as well.

Of course there are the basics that you need in the car such as:

Your spare tire, be sure your spare tire is in good shape during the winter months. When you are stranded without a spare during the cold it can make for a frightfully long day.  Your spare should have air, no holes, and most importantly you need to have the tire wrench in your car as well.  Many drivers don’t know if they have a tire wrench or not, but this is a vital piece of equipment for changing your tires.

Another must have during any winter month is the ice scraper.  As much as we all hate to use it, parking in a mall, when visiting others or when you are parked at work, you may come to find that your vehicle needs scraped of the snow and ice. Never drive your vehicle if you can’t see out of the front, side, and back windows for your own safety and the safety of others.

Gloves and a hat are another must have in your car.  Even if you drive from parking garage to your home garage on most occasions, you never do know when your car could break down, not start or when you might be waiting after a traffic accident in the cold weather.  At least having a hat and gloves in your trunk will benefit you if the need should arise.

Something that many of us keep in the car year around is a change of clothes.  You never know when you are going to need fresh clothes because of a spill, an accident or other reason, but having another set of clothes in the car over the winter months is going to get you out of a jamb if you are ever soaking wet in the freezing temperatures.  Just a sweater and a pair of jeans is enough put in your trunk for those just in case needs.

If you live in the suburbs or in the rural areas of the country, you might also want to consider putting something in your trunk that you can eat and drink in case you are ever stuck in a ditch over night, or if you are snowed in on the highway.  Traveling more than twenty miles a day to and from work, there are lots of things that could happen, but being prepared will help you through any accident or problem.  You never know when you could happen upon a person who has been stuck along the road for hours and they are hungry, and just keeping a candy bar in the trunk is going to give someone energy!

Other items that you might want to keep in your car for those cold winter months are:

• Toys to keep the kids occupied during those long traffic jams in the middle of snowstorms.
• Boots in case you have to get out of your car and walk any where for help.
• A shovel (even a small one) in case you get stuck in a ditch.
• A small bag of salt or sand to put under your tires when you slide off the road.
• An old car phone, even if the car phone is not activated, you can still dial 911 for help.
• A blanket for accidents or when you are waiting for your car to warm up after work.
• A flare to put on the side of the road when you or someone else is having car troubles in the middle of a winter storm.
• A flashlight so you can walk along the road in the middle of the night, or you can flag someone down when your car is stuck or broke down in the middle of a cold night

Just because winter is coming does not mean that you have to stay home and look at the same walls day after day, but being prepared for those cold days or nights are going to help you get through any problem or accident that might come your way!