We know it’s important to have an emergency kit for our homes – one that prepares us for up to 72 hours after a disaster - should help not be able to arrive until then; but do you have an emergency kit prepared for your car?
An emergency can happen at any time – even when you are in your car. While you may not know when it will happen, you can be prepared in the event you and your family are ever stuck in your vehicle for an extended period.
With a pandemic ongoing, it’s a good idea to update your emergency kit to include a few new essential items, such as:
- Masks
- Hand sanitizer
- Sanitizer wipes
- Gloves
- Individual water bottles
- Non-perishable food (consider individual food portions to decrease cross-contamination) and a manual can opener if cans are included.
Remember, quantity varies based on number of people in household.
Whether it is due to disaster, extreme weather or another emergency, it’s important to have a few items in your car that could help you in an emergency. You can buy a
Roadside Safety Kit from our online shop or you can build your own.
For a basic package, here is a checklist of items to include in a car emergency kit:
- Water
- Food (non-perishable)
- Blankets
- Extra clothing and shoes
- Crank or battery-operated flashlight, with extra batteries
- Road maps
- Road flares
- Work gloves
- Windshield washer fluid
- Jumper cable or battery pack
- Sand, salt or kitty litter
- Shovel and ice scraper
- De-icer (methyl hydrate)
- Phone charger
During summertime, remember to prepare for extreme heat and other elements of the season:
Sunscreen
- Hat
- Rain jacket/covering
- Dry clothes
- Insect repellent
And, remember, as with any emergency kit, it should be tailored to meet your family’s needs e.g. medication, special foods or any pet requirements.
Restocking your kit
While you’re readying your car emergency kit, it’s a good time check to see if you need to restock your emergency kit for the home.
Double check that all of the listed items are in your kit and restock where needed.
- Important family documents (i.e. copies of birth and marriage certificates, passports, licenses, wills, land deeds and insurance) *Take care of documents with personal information in case your kit falls into the wrong hands.
- A copy of your emergency plan
- Special needs such as medications, baby needs, extra glasses, etc.
- Crank or battery-operated flashlight, with extra batteries
- Battery-operated or crank radio
- Matches or a lighter
- Extra keys, for your house and car
- First aid kit
- Extra cash
- Personal hygiene items
- Pet food and pet medication
- Cell phone with extra charger or battery pack
See what’s inside our Roadside Safety kit:
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