Be prepared with our list of 6 things to keep in your car whenever you are driving.
A breakdown can happen at any time and there are a few essential items that will either get you back on the road, or make a roadside breakdown repair or recovery much easier.
Consider keeping these 6 items in your car at all times. Especially if you’re going on a longer trip over the summer or in adverse conditions such as rain or snow.
6 essential things to keep in your car
1. Reflective triangle
If you break down, you need to let other road users know that there’s an unexpected stationary vehicle up ahead. This is really important where people are moving at speed on a motorway, or where there are blind corners on a country road.
A reflective triangle is a simple, low-tech way to warn other drivers of a danger up ahead. They are really cheap and can be bought at hardware shops or online, so order one today and pop it in your boot.
2. Personal comfort emergency pack
A breakdown can happen any time you are driving, so think about how long you might need to wait for assistance. If it’s really hot, really cold, or just a really long wait, you’ll be really glad of your personal comfort emergency pack.
Things to keep in your car to stay comfortable while you wait for assistance:
- Blanket or a warm coat to keep the cold at bay.
- A bottle of water to stay hydrated.
- A snack with a long shelf life so you don’t go hungry.
- A flashlight in case it’s dark.
- An umbrella or a rain jacket if it’s raining.
- A book to keep you entertained.
These are also useful items to keep in your car in the event of any road closures or extreme weather conditions.
3. Puncture repair kit
A puncture repair kit is a quick, cheap alternative to changing your wheel at the side of the road.
The kit consists of a solution that goes into your tyre through the inflater valve. And a small air compressor that will reinflate your tyre and get you home.
Using a puncture repair kit is not a permanent solution. You should arrange to have your tyre changed when you get back to base. However, it is definitely a handy thing to have in your car and could mean you’re not stuck at the side of the road for recovery.
4. Locking wheel nut key
What is a locking wheel nut key? The locking wheel nut key is a small tool that is used to remove the wheels of your car.
If you don’t have the right locking wheel nut keys for your car, the wheel nuts have to be ground off and replaced or have another nut welded on top. This takes a lot longer than removing the nuts with a wheel nut key and will cost you more in repair time as a result.
So do yourself (and your favourite motor engineer) a favour and have the right locking wheel nut key in your car!
5. Wheel nut brace
A wheel nut brace is tool that looks a bit like a spanner. It’s used along with the locking wheel nut key to remove the wheels of your car.
You may not need to use this yourself, but it’s an essential thing to have in your car for the recovery mechanic, or the motor engineer at the garage where you take your vehicle for repair.
6. Towing hook or towing eye
Not all cars have a built in tow hook. So if your car breaks down and needs to be towed, you should have a towing hook that the emergency call out service can use to tow your car.
This is what a towing hook looks like:
Useful, but not essential, things to keep in your car
We’ve covered the really important things t o keep in your car in case of emergency. But here are a few extras that we think are really useful.
You might want to consider a portable power pack. These are really useful if you need to jumpstart your car, or just recharge your phone to be able to call someone!
Screen wash. Yes, screen wash. If you run out in filthy driving conditions it can be really dangerous. Keeping your screen clean and visibility good is really important.
Similarly, keep an ice scraper in your car. They are cheap and really are the best way to clear your screen of snow and ice.
Vehicle inspection and repair
If your vehicle has recently broken down and needs to be repaired, get in touch!
Dop us a line using our contact form or give us a call on either of these numbers: 0116 3190 118 or mobile 07850 881 911.
