Items to include in your vehicle's emergency survival kit
Preparing for Roadside Emergencies: A Comprehensive Guide
Staying safe on the road is crucial, and being prepared for unexpected incidents can make a significant difference. Here's a guide to help you assemble a car emergency kit and understand the importance of roadside assistance memberships.
Roadside Assistance Membership
Maintaining an active roadside assistance membership can be an inexpensive investment that offers assistance for common issues such as flat batteries, flat tyres, running out of petrol, or being locked out of the car. In Australia, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) offers 24/7 nationwide roadside assistance. Other services like RACV provide similar Australia-wide assistance.
First Aid Kit and Basic First Aid Training
A first aid kit, available through various sources, should include essentials like gloves, antiseptic wipes, band-aids, bandages, gauze, dressing pads, and painkillers. Consider taking a basic first aid training course to ensure you are equipped to handle emergencies.
Safety Essentials
Keeping your car's hazard lights on during a crash or breakdown is essential. It's also important to keep a hi-vis safety vest and a reflective triangle in your car for increased visibility during roadside emergencies. These items are lightweight, easy to store, and can help increase visibility to oncoming traffic.
A reflective triangle can serve as extra warning for other motorists, placed between 30 and 50 meters behind a stopped vehicle in low visibility conditions.
Jumper Leads and Torch
Jumper leads enable you to jump-start your car battery if there is another working vehicle nearby. A torch with spare batteries is useful for investigating under the bonnet, signalling for help, or in dark areas.
Car Safety Kit
A car safety kit, or car emergency kit, is a collection of essentials for post-breakdown situations. This includes items like bottled water and non-perishable food for hydration in case of long delays, a quality blanket or picnic rug for staying warm, providing shade, or acting as a barrier against broken glass, and a fire extinguisher to prevent a small fire from becoming unmanageable.
The fire extinguisher should be securely mounted to prevent movement within the car.
Mobile Phone and Spare Tyre
It's important to have a charged mobile phone for calling roadside assistance and emergency services. Regular car maintenance and safe tyre checks are important, but a flat tyre on the road cannot be predicted. Check your spare tyre's inflation at least every six months to ensure it's ready for use.
Safety Measures
Keeping a small amount of cash hidden in your car can help in unexpected emergencies, but avoid keeping more than $50 to prevent attracting opportunistic thieves.
By following these tips and assembling a comprehensive car emergency kit, you can be better prepared for roadside emergencies and ensure your safety on the road.
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