Whether you’re out driving your personal vehicle, or your employees are getting behind the wheels of company cars, it’s important to be prepared. One easy way to ensure you’re ready for anything is to have an emergency kit, which can easily be stored in the trunk of your car.
What to include in your emergency car kit
The basics:
You can make your emergency kit as extensive or as basic as you’d like, but there are a few essentials every kit should contain. These include:
- A shovel
- Tow rope or chain
- Booster cables
- Fuel line antifreeze
- A small tool kit
- A fire extinguisher
To alert rescuers:
If you find yourself in an accident or stuck somewhere while driving, it’s important to have some tools on hand that can help you get the attention of potential rescuers. In order to do this, you can pack the following items:
- Road flares or warning lights
- Bright cloth to use as a flag
- A “call police” sign
- A flashlight and extra batteries
If you’re trapped in a snowstorm:
During the winter, when it’s colder outside, it’s even more dangerous to be stranded in your car. Having some key items in your kit could help keep you warm and well fed while you wait for help. Here are a few items that could come in handy:
- A first aid kit
- Band-aids
- Bottled water
- Energy bars
- Roadmaps
- Gloves
- Matches
- A blanket
- Extra clothing and footwear
- Emergency food (non-perishable, such as canned fruit, nut, candy, etc.)
- A can opener and a pocket knife
- A candle and a deep can for you to place it in when it’s lit
It’s also a good idea to keep a fully charged cell phone in the car with you at all times. That way, if something happens, you can easily call someone for help.
Yearly checks
Once you have emergency kits in all of your personal and company vehicles, your job is not quite done. It’s important to check your kits once a year to see if anything requires updating. Having an inventory with expiry dates for your food, water, and medical supplies can help you keep track of what needs to be refreshed.
Ensure you’re prepared
While you can make every effort to avoid an emergency, sometimes things can still go wrong. That’s why it’s important to be as prepared as possible. To find out more about how you can help prepare for an emergency, visit our blog for some key risk management tips.
