Items You Should Never Drive Without
The items that you carry around in your car boot with you could make all the difference when you are out on the open road. After all, you never know when you could get into difficulties or an accident. Carrying around a few items in your boot at all times helps to give you that all-important peace of mind – as long as you know how to use them all, of course! It may be that you suddenly get a flat tyre, you encounter some difficult terrain, or you need to signal for help. All of these eventualities are covered in this list, and they are all very real possibilities that you could end up facing.
As well as carrying the right items in your boot, it is also worth knowing about what you need to do if you are involved in a car accident, firstly regarding safety and secondly regarding insurance, contacting a lawyer, etc. Though modern car manufacturers are doing everything they can to protect drivers and passengers, car accidents are still fairly common.. Of course, things may well be different when the era of driverless cars comes around. But, for now, let’s go through the top 11 things that you should always have in your boot for your own safety and security.
First Aid Kit
Let’s start with an obvious one, but an extremely important one nevertheless. A fully stocked first aid kit contains all sorts of essentials that can help to deal with a wide range of different problems. It may be just a minor scrape or something more serious that needs patching while you wait for help. Just a few of the items that you will want to have in your kit include plasters, bandages, safety pins, scissors, sticky tape, a thermometer, eyewash and various types of medicine. When you are driving in many countries, they require you to carry one of these by law, so this gives you an added incentive if you need one.
Jump Leads
You never know when a flat battery is going to strike. If you have left your car standing for some time, you need to have a ‘Plan B’ if it doesn’t start straight away. And if you are not well-versed in how jump leads operate, it is worth brushing up on your skills, as this may well save you from having to call someone out to rescue you. Consult your car’s handbook so you know which leads are most compatible with your car’s engine and battery. When you are using them, keep metal objects well out of the way to avoid a dangerous situation.
Cat Litter
It may seem strange to carry cat litter around in your boot to some people, but not to the ones who have actually used it. First of all, it can provide you with that valuable extra traction that you need to drive away from a slippery surface. This can prove to be invaluable in icy conditions and can save you from having to call out a tow truck. Another use that drivers have for cat litter is mopping up oil spills. And you can even use it to neutralise any bad smells from spilt substances inside the car itself!
Spare Tyre
An item that you should be carrying regardless of what type of vehicle you are driving is a spare tyre, which may be needed at any point, so check out tyre trucks if you are in need of them. And if you know how to change it yourself, this is always going to be an added bonus, as you won’t have to call for help. If you have never used this tyre before, make sure that the tread hasn’t worn away and it is still safe to use on your car. Rubber degrades over time – usually around six years – and this ageing process can be accelerated if it has been exposed to heat.
Tyres have an expiry date on them, so it is always worth checking this. In fact, now is the perfect opportunity. After all, it is much worse to find out that your tyre has expired after you have already got a flat on the freeway!
Jack and Lug Wrench
Continuing nicely on from the last item, a spare tyre is not going to do you much good unless you have a jack to prop up the car and a wrench to remove the lug nuts. Changing a spare tyre doesn’t have to be a difficult task, so you should watch a video to get a better idea of what you need to do and get some practice in if you can. This is a task that shouldn’t be beyond anyone, but it just takes a little bit of practice, so you are completely comfortable that you know what you are doing when the moment arrives.
Tyre Pressure Gauge and Air Pump
A tyre pressure gauge and air pump are two items that go hand in hand. Rather than having to go to a garage or gas station every time you need to check your tyre pressures, you can do this from wherever you need to with a pressure gauge. And if you have a portable air compressor, you can fill up the tyres when you need to. Properly pumped-up tyres improve both the handling and fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and you should check them on a regular basis. They also need to be adjusted depending on how much weight you are carrying around in the car with you.
Blanket
It may not seem as important as some of the previous items mentioned, but a blanket can be very useful in a number of different situations. It is there if you need to clean your tools after undertaking some car maintenance, and it is also there if you want to protect your seats from getting dirty. It can even be used to keep you warm if you are unlucky enough to break down during the winter months. And it doesn’t take up a huge amount of space in your boot either, which is always a bonus.
This is a collaborative post.
