It’s that season again, snow, slush, ice … winter!
One thing many people forget to pack until they’re on the road and it begins to snow is what is called a “winter car emergency kit.”
If you’ve ever lived in the Midwest, or anywhere it snows regularly, you probably already know what we’re talking about.
However, if you’re new to the area or need a refresher, we’ll be going over some of the most important items for your winter car kit to make sure that you can get through any roadside emergency.
Why Should You Prepare an Emergency Kit for Your Car?
First, think about some of the things that can happen while you’re on the road during the winter months.
With slick roads from ice and snow, you can end up in the ditch without much warning.
You could also accidentally run out of gas and be stranded in the cold.
You might be caught up in a winter storm and be swept off the road.
In any case, you don’t want to be caught unprepared during a winter storm.
A winter car survival kit can literally be the difference between life and death in some situations.
What Do You Need in a Winter Emergency?
In a winter emergency, you should think about packing a few things that you might need to keep you safe and help you survive.
There are some obvious items that you might already have in your car like an ice scraper and brush for your windows, gloves and a hat, jumper cables in case your battery dies, phone charger or backup battery, and a tire pressure gauge for when the cold weather causes changes your tire pressure.
Some less common items that you still want to include in your emergency kit are a reflective blanket for warmth should you be stranded, a road flare to signal to other drivers, water, non-perishable food, a first-aid kit in case of injury, hand warmers, and a flashlight with extra batteries.
You can also optionally include some other items like a portable weather radio, extra clothing in case you get wet from snow or chilled, tire chains for snow, shovel to dig yourself out of a snow bank, or weight in your trunk to help with sliding during the winter.
Winter Car Emergency Kit Checklist
The following is the simple checklist of items you need to be prepared in case the unfortunate incident of a winter emergency arises.
Required:
- Ice scraper and brush
- Gloves
- Hat
- Jumper cables
- Phone charger or backup battery
- Tire pressure gauge
- Reflective blanket
- Road flare
- Water
- Non-perishable food
- First-aid kit
- Hand warmers
- Flashlight with extra batteries
Optional:
- Portable weather radio
- Extra clothing
- Tire chains
- Snow shovel
- Sand bags/weight in trunk to help traction
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Are You Ready for a Winter Emergency?
It’s still fall for many of us, but that doesn’t mean that the snow won’t come back with a vengeance in a few short weeks.
It’s the perfect time to start building your winter car emergency kit or replacing items in your current kit.
Whether it’s your first time driving or your thousandth time getting behind the wheel, you will feel safe in the knowledge that you’re prepared should you encounter a winter storm while on the road.
Involved in a Car Accident that Wasn’t Your Fault?
If you were involved in a winter car accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered injuries as a result, you might be entitled to compensation.
Contact VanDerGinst Law for a free consultation and to learn about your legal options.
Our team of experienced attorneys will walk you through each step of the process while you are able to take a breath and recover from your injuries.
If you’ve been injured, we’d be honored to help.
Contact us at 800-797-5391 or fill out this form to learn more.
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