Safety First: 8 Items You Need to Keep in Your Car
Do you know what you have in the trunk of your car right now?
Knowing what to keep in your car is a great way to stay prepared for breakdowns, accidents, and other hazardous events.
One great opportunity to fill your car with necessities is after its purchase. When you first purchase a vehicle, sprucing it up might feel like less of a chore. You may be less likely to put off ensuring that your car has all of the essentials.
If you intend to trade a junk car for cash, be sure to remove these necessities from your old vehicle to transfer them to your new one.
The Top 8 Items You Should Always Keep in Your Car
Knowing what to keep in your car can help keep you safe after an accident or a breakdown. Here are eight items that you should always keep in your vehicle.
1. Your Cell Phone and a Cell Phone Charger
Your cellphone is an invaluable device that can be used to call for help. Should you become stranded, your cell phone can help you get assistance. If you’re involved in an accident, your cell phone might just save your life.
What happens if your phone dies and then you are stranded or involved in an accident? You’ll likely wish you had brought a cell phone charger with you.
2. A First Aid Kit
When determining what to keep in your car, it is important that you consider safety items. A first aid kit provides several necessities, including bandages, gloves, antiseptic, and gauze. First aid kits can be invaluable if stranded in the middle of nowhere. Stabilization after an injury while waiting for emergency services to arrive can be the difference between life and death.
3. Jumper Cables
When making a list of what to keep in your car, don’t forget jumper cables. They can save you from being stranded. Has your car ever needed a jump? If you have ever forgotten to turn off your vehicle or headlights, you may have returned to a dead battery. Worse yet is when you have a failing battery, and it just refuses to start. While jumper cables are a common item found in vehicles, you should never assume that a passerby will have them. Always be prepared and keep a set of jumper cables in the trunk of your car.
4. A Jack, Lug Wrench, and a Spare Tire
Flat tire got you down? I hope you brought a jack, lug wrench, and a spare tire.
When determining what to keep in your car, you should always include essentials that will keep you from getting stranded. Flat tires happen. Your tire might have a slow leak, or you could run over something in the road.
You’ll need a jack to lift your car enough to remove your tire. A lug wrench lets you remove the lug nuts that hold your wheel in place. The necessity of the spare tire is pretty self-explanatory.
5. A Tire Pressure Gauge
Speaking of leaky tires, do you have a tire pressure gauge in your vehicle?
You should check your tire pressure every month in addition to any time you have an emergency. Checking your tire pressure regularly will help you maintain your vehicle’s tires and alert you when there is a problem.
6. A Window Punch and Seatbelt Cutter
Knowing what to keep in your car could save your life. Seatbelt cutter and window punch combo tools are lifesaving in a crisis. If you are involved in an accident and your seatbelt gets stuck, you can use a seatbelt cutter to remove it so that you can escape from the wreckage. If your vehicle accidentally becomes submerged in water with you in it, a window punch tool can save your life.
7. A Tire Traction Mat
If you live anywhere with snow, then you may already have this one. A tire traction mat is an anti-slip mat that grips snow, ice, gravel, and more. When placed in front or behind your car’s tires, you can drive out of otherwise impossible situations.
8. A Flashlight
Want to know what to keep in your car? A flashlight should be essential. A flashlight can be invaluable if you are stranded. This includes when you need to change a tire on the side of the road or perform any other kind of vehicle emergency maintenance. Having a flashlight will help you see what you are doing, especially at night.
Good Preparation is Safe Preparation
Now that you know what to keep in your car, you are ready for any breakdown that comes your way. Of course, if your vehicle is giving you repeated trouble, it may be time to look into a new car.
If you’re wondering, “Where can I trade in junk cars near me?” then it is vital to take the time to learn about agencies that will buy your car for cash. These agencies purchased used vehicles regardless of their condition.
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