8 Essential Things to Keep in Your Car

With the holiday season upon us, it is highly likely that you will be travelling long distances in your car to visit your family or friends. Such long drives could put your car at risk of breaking down in the middle of nowhere in case the maintenance routines are not followed. This can leave you stranded without any help nearby.

Even though none of us expects to suffer any misfortune like running out of petrol, breaking down or getting lost etc., these things do happen. However, when these situations arise, the drivers are left ill-equipped to cope with these. The good news is, such situations can be easily avoided with a little planning.

Let us take a look at some of the essentials that you should keep in your car at all times.

First Aid Kit

You never know when you might need a first aid kit. Therefore, keeping one handy is important. A first aid kit should contain bandages, antiseptics, cotton balls, a pair of scissors, sterile gauze dressings, safety pins, tweezers, painkillers, aspirin and so on. You can either assemble one or buy one complete with the contents.

Emergency Mobile Phone Charger

Being stranded in the middle of nowhere without any means of communication can be quite tragic. Even if you charge your phone fully before starting your ride, your phone may end up with no charge at all if you are out on a long drive. Therefore, it is wise to keep an extra portable mobile phone charger with you for emergency situations.

Jumper Cables

Dead car batteries in the middle of a trip are not very uncommon. Therefore, it is wise to keep an emergency battery booster with you at all times. With jumper cables handy, you would not have to worry about dead batteries.

Blankets

The wintry weather conditions can be quite harsh. Driving in such conditions can be quite difficult. Getting stranded in a blizzard can turn out to be extremely tragic. This is where keeping a blanket in the car can come in handy. In addition to that, you can also consider keeping some warm clothes in the car when you need to go on long drives during the winter. These can help you stay warm in case you need to spend the night in your car.

Flashlight

A flashlight is an extremely important tool that you should keep in your car. A flashlight can come in handy if you need to tinker with the car during dark conditions if any problem arises. A phone’s battery is usually not enough during such conditions. A magnetic flashlight can be quite helpful.

Reflective Triangles

Making the ones passing you by on the road aware of your condition is important in case you are seeking help. In such situations road flares can come in handy. However, these flares may either burn out quickly or malfunction at the hour of need. However, reflective triangles can come in handy in such situations.

Water Bottles

It can be quite difficult to predict the kind of situations that you could get into on the long drives that you plan on taking. You might be stranded in the middle of the road with no one around and scanty means to communicate with anyone. You might also need to wait for help. In those situations, a bottle of water can be quite helpful. Therefore, it is wise to keep a few bottles of water in your car. Ensure that the water is sealed. Additionally, you might also need water to top up the radiator or fill the windscreen washer bottles.

Important Contact Information

It is wise to keep the contact information of breakdown services in your car. Ensure that the information is not just stored in your phone but also on a non-perishable material and stored in the glove box of your car.

These things do not take up much space in your car. You may never need to use these essentials, but it is always good to know that you have these things with you just in case misfortune strikes. It is wise to keep the car well maintained so that no such situation arises. Washing a car is also important. You should wash the body, personalised number plates, dashboard, windows and so on to keep your car drive-ready. Proper maintenance procedures can prevent breakdowns.