How to Build a Car Emergency Kit

Oh, the weather outside is frightful! I was just looking at Weather.com and it says we have a couple of storms headed to Denver, which got me thinking about my car emergency kit. And then I realized… I don’t have a car emergency kit! Yes, I’m a Denver personal injury attorney and I don’t always practice what I preach. So, this weekend, I’m planning to make car emergency kits for my car and for my wife’s car.

Denver Car Emergency Kit

So now, without further ado, here is my list of the top 19 things you should keep in your car for emergencies:

1. First aid kit (you can find a complete kit at many stores, such as Target or WalMart.)
2. Flashlight and extra batteries
3. Window scraper
4. Gloves and socks
5. Duct tape
6. Cell phone adapter and cord
7. Power bank (such as this one at Amazon)
8. Reflective warning triangles
9. Tire gauge
10. Foam tire sealant
11. Jumper cables
12. Jacket or rain poncho
13. Drinking water
14. Snacks (such as nonperishable bars)
15. Blanket
16. Compact snow shovel
17. Cat litter or road salt
18. Matches
19. A gallon of window washing fluid

You should also make sure that you have your vehicle’s owner’s manual in the glove box. Sometimes the difference between hours stuck on the side of the road and a minor setback can be a little toggle switch that you might find in the manual. (I heard of one mom who got a call from her panicked teen daughter because her steering wheel had locked after she parked it. The mom walked her daughter through the process of finding the necessary information in the owner’s manual and they were able to unlock the wheel, saving the mom a 2-hour, round-trip drive to go rescue her daughter!)

If you travel with children a lot, you might also add some games to the emergency kit. You don’t want your kids to panic while you resolve the situation, so distract them with games! (And maybe some M&Ms, too.)

Get Tech Help for Your Car Emergency Kit

Finally, I thought I’d mention that there are all kinds of technologies out there now to help you avoid accidents, and, if you’re in an accident, to alert authorities to help you. A recent one that I heard about is called Hum. I know some friends who are getting it since they now have a teenage driver.

This particular gadget can:

• Provide vehicle diagnostics
• Detect a crash and alert emergency services
• Enable pinpoint roadside assistance, even if you don’t know where you are

This is just one of many tech-options available to provide these kinds of services, so shop around.

I know I’m going to spend a couple of hours this weekend putting together a couple of car emergency kits. I hope this article motivates you to build one, too. Let’s all stay safe on Colorado’s unpredictable roads by staying prepared.

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