You are driving down a dark road late at night and all of a sudden you lose control of your vehicle. You slow down enough to ease the car over to the side of the road and are able to stop. Upon getting out of your car you see that you have a flat tire and no spare. If you have cell service and roadside assistance you can easily call someone to come help you. However, if you do not have service, you are left trying to get someone to stop and help you or spending the night in your car. The other option is to make sure that you are prepared with an emergency car kit.

How To Build an Emergency Car Kit?

If you build an emergency car kit that you always keep with you, you can set out the flares inside of it and use some sealant to air up your tire so that you can drive to safety. If you cannot do this, you will at least want to have water, food, and an emergency blanket to help you stay comfortable until someone comes to help you.

Do you commute for long distances? If so, having a well-stocked roadside emergency kit is essential. This kit can be the difference between getting right back on the road or being stranded for many hours. Every car should have one of these kits available. However, most of us do not even carry the most basic items that would help to get back on the road safely.

Assembling Your Emergency Kit

Having an emergency kit in your vehicle is very important, but you might be wondering what you should put in it. When you are setting up your emergency kit you will want to consider the condition and age of the vehicle that you drive, the weather, and your driving patterns. If you live someplace that does not have freezing rain or snow, there are some items that you might not need on this list. Here are some basic items that you should gather for your roadside emergency kit:

    • Jumper Cables: Another option is a small lithium-ion battery that has jumper cables. These batteries can be used to recharge phones and computers. The price range for these is from $60 to $120. If you choose to have a battery, it is important to make sure that you keep it charged.
    • Triangle reflectors or flares
    • At least a quart of motor oil
    • One gallon of coolant
    • First aid kit
    • Blanket
    • Flashlight with extra batteries
    • Tool kit
    • A can of fix a flat
    • Paper towels
    • Tire pressure gauge
    • Ice scraper
    • Energy or granola bars
    • Bottles of water
    • Pen and paper

Once you have gathered all of the items for your emergency kit, you will want to find a way to store them in your trunk so that they do not roll around. A cardboard box is a good solution for this. Backpacks work well too. Make sure that your kit can easily be accessed because you might need some of the items in the kit quickly.

There are pre-assembled emergency roadside kits available as well. These come storage bags or bins that keep all of the items neatly organized. The do it yourself survival kit includes more than basic items but does require more effort to put together.

Using Your Kit

In a perfect world, the items in your emergency car kit will stay in your car and you will never have to use them. However, if you do need to use your emergency supply kit in any type of emergency situation, it is important to make sure that you are familiar with it. As you are putting your kit together or if you are putting your premade kit in your trunk, make sure that you go through all of the items and know what you have and also how to use each of the items.

If you experience a car break down, it is important to use some common sense. If you can, move your car to the side of the road as far away from traffic as possible. You should make sure that your emergency flashers are turned on. If you have a phone and emergency roadside assistance, stay inside your vehicle until help gets there. If your issue needs a quick response, get out your kit and proceed to fix the issue with caution.

Dave & Rays Automotive Repair Shop in Omaha, NE

Our team has learned one thing: automotive problems are as varied and unique as the customers who bring them to us. Fortunately, our decades of experience in auto service and repair also mean that our skilled network of professionals is ready to accommodate an impressive scope of automotive issues. Contact us today.

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