Whether you’re a professional driver like a chauffeur or you just like to be well-prepared, there are a few items that you should keep in your car to help you when emergencies happen, or just to make driving a little bit easier and more comfortable for you and your passengers.
Many of the items that do these things do not cost much at all. Avoiding obvious picks you’ve probably already thought of, such as jumper cables and a tyre kit, here are 10 of the most helpful and affordable items you should have to hand whenever you set off.
- A window shade: One of the most unpleasant experiences many drivers have is climbing into a boiling hot car after leaving it parked under the sun on a hot day. A car shade or several is an easy way to avoid this and will make it much nicer when you and your passengers return to your vehicle.
Windscreen shades tend to do the best job of keeping the overall temperature down while the vehicle is parked, but they will be more effective when combined with shades for the side windows too. These are also good to have on hand in case passengers in the back of the vehicle find the sun too hot or bright but don’t want to open the window.
- Phone chargers: Being a well-prepared driver is about covering the everyday essentials rather than providing a luxurious journey. And electronic devices are undoubtedly an everyday essential in the modern world.
Keeping chargers in the car can help you if your device is running low when you need to make a call or use it as a map, and it is something that all your passengers are likely to appreciate too.
- Seatbelt cutter: Seatbelt cutters are handheld tools which usually also double as a window breaker. Their purpose is to help you escape from your vehicle in the event of a crash, so keep it somewhere you can easily reach, such as in the glove compartment.
These can be found in automotive hardware stores or many places online.
- Towel: Towels are a surprisingly useful item to keep in the car, and not only to help you or your passengers dry off if you’ve been caught in heavy rain.
They are great for demisting windows, mopping up spilt liquids, and for catching or wiping up oil when you’ve been carrying out repairs.
- Water: It is sensible to keep a sealed bottle of water in your car for emergencies. Be sure to change it often to make sure the water is fresh, as one of the reasons you might need to open it one day is to drink it in an emergency.
But water can also be used to help clean wounds in the event of an accident, or to refill your windscreen wipers.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but being prepared for the unexpected by keeping these things in your car can help you when things go wrong and will be appreciated by good passengers. You can add or remove items based on where you tend to drive and why.
