According to new survey by State Farm Insurance, in case of a winter emergency while driving just about everyone keeps something in the trunk of their car. Unfortunately, just about no one keeps everything they should have-just one or two things.

That could be problematic if you find yourself in the midst of a winter driving emergency. Let’s run through the list of things you should have in your car all winter long, just in case:

1. Blankets. You do realize that if your car breaks down you won’t be able to run the heater to stay warm, right? Hypothermia can set in within minutes when the temperatures are near or below freezing. A blanket, or a couple blankets are nice insurance policy should you find yourself in need of one.

2. Water. You might get thirsty having to wait for someone to come and get you. In fact, it might be a week or longer; in some cases people stuck in the snow have waited a month for someone to find them. Dehydration might not kill you before hypothermia (if you forgot blankets) but it still only takes a few days to take affect.

3. Jumper Cables. These are likely already in the trunk of your car but it is a good idea to make certain you check that they are still working properly and easy to reach in the event of an emergency. Remember, the chances are when you need one of these items the situation will be dire, so do everything you can to make it easy on yourself.

4. Flashlight/Flares/Hazard Triangles: These 3 items might seem to be a bit of overkill, but if you end up stranded, in the dark, on a curvy road in the dark, you might be glad that you have them stashed in the boot.

5. Spare Tire. Yes, this is the item that nearly everyone has on hand in the event of an emergency, but when was the last time you checked it? Make certain the tread is good and the tire is properly inflated. There is no worse feeling in the world than putting on a spare tire only to discover it is flat.

Trust us, we know.

Share this post!
Website-wide course special up to SAVE 50%
Let’s Find a Course That You Need.