Vehicle Safety Kit: How to Put Together One for Your Car

If you drive your own vehicle, even if it is just in town, it is always a good idea to have a few basic pieces of equipment with you. Car manufacturers recognize this. Thus we have spare tires which come with new vehicles. Well, ok, many vehicles today have those cheap "donut" spares but the point is still valid, there is something there in case you have a blow out, a tire (sort of), a jack, and a lug wrench.

Of course, other things can happen while driving than just blow outs and the manufacturers do not provide for all of them. Therefore we must do so ourselves. While you do have to spend a little money, it is not necessary to spend an arm and a leg on this project. Gas prices are already draining the old driving budget quite enough. Here are a few tips and ideas which may be of help to you as you put together your vehicle safety kit.

First, be aware that whatever area you live in will have special and unique requirements for a safety kit. If you reside in Alaska, for example, you will need a few more items than if you reside in North Carolina. In Florida you may need different items than, say, in Colorado. Each area will have some distinct, common sense needs of its own. This article will be built around a pretty basic needs kit designed for a general region with no major geographical oddities.

First, get a milk crate or some like container. Anything of similar size and shape will do you will just be sitting it in your trunk. For a pick up truck you may want something lockable and weatherproof which can ride in the bed of the truck. Perhaps something you can chain down.

The first thing to go into your milk crate is a wool blanket. I say wool for a reason, the "four W's." "Wool is Warm When Wet." Cotton or some blend just will not do. An Army "poncho liner" will do quite nicely but only if you are certain it is a 100% authentic, real McCoy original. There are too many imitations out there, at flea markets and on the internet, which look real but are made of substandard material which will not work when it gets wet. Oh, and do not think this is only for people in "the Great White North" either. Snow is not the only reason for having a blanket in your vehicle. Cold driving rains or winds can and do occur anywhere in North America and you may become stranded on the side of the road, in such a rain, in any place. A blanket is also useful for making an improvised stretcher or for padding an injury. A simple wool blanket is the best choice. You may pick up a good one at an army surplus store for just a few dollars.

You will also want a basic tool kit. If you are a NASCAR mechanic and want to haul around the total pit row line up of tools then that is fine but all you really need is a basic automotive tool kit. If you have no idea how to put such a kit together then you may do a couple of things. One you may look on line. There are several good articles about putting together a basic tool kit. The other thing you may do is go to a reputable store and purchase a basic automotive tool kit designed for a car. If you do this I urge you to use some caution, particularly if you have no idea of what you are doing as a salesman will be, well a salesman. They try to separate you from your money. While hesitant to "plug" a particular brand name I tend to recommend Sears, "Craftsman" tools. They have a lifetime guarantee, if you ever break one, you take it back to a Sears, hand it to the service desk and they give you a replacement for free. Also, Sears has several pre-packed automotive toolkits. Craftsman costs a bit more but they are usually worth it since they have the lifetime, no questions asked guaranty. Just do not leave them where someone can get to them as they will be stolen.

Even if you are thinking that you have no idea how to ever use a tool, you might just be surprised what you can figure out when you are broken down miles from nowhere. Plus, you never know when a Good Samaritan might come along who has the know-how but just needs the tools. At least you should keep your options open.

Next you need a hydraulic jack. Most cars and trucks sold in America today come with a screw type jack which will, after much work, barely raise your car up enough to change a tire, maybe. These jacks are really unsuitable for reliable lifting and they are labor intensive. Almost any auto parts store, Wal-Mart or K-mart type store sells decent, small, hydraulic jacks in the three to five ton range. Five ton is probably overkill, unless you have a large SUV or pickup truck, but you never know when you may be helping someone else out. These jacks are simple to use and, because they are hydraulic, they provide an almost irresistible force which you can use for purposes other than merely raising a car to change a tire. Fire departments and rescue squads use similar, albeit it specially made devices, to wrench open wrecked vehicles. Sure the famous Hurst tool, the "jaws of life" gets all the credit but often it is a small, hand pumped, hydraulic jack which does a lot of the work.

Speaking of jacking up a vehicle, you should include some wooden blocks. They should be rectangular ones, large enough to chock the tires on the end of the vehicle opposite from the end you are jacking up. This will keep the vehicle from shifting on you while you work on it.

Your vehicle should already come with a "tire iron" lug wrench which will be fitted for your vehicle. Usually these are small and not really suited for serious turning. You may want to consider getting a good, four way tire iron. These have four different sized lugs on them and are very good for applying leverage to a stuck lug. This will also give you the option of helping others, should the need ever arise, since you will now have three additional lug sizes available.

A good flashlight is an absolute must for a safety kit. While a cheap six volt flashlight will do, you should really consider a three "D" cell "Maglight." These are the long, black barreled lights many police and security officers use. Their beams can be adjusted from floodlight down to pinpoint, spotlights and they are waterproof. The Maglights have the added advantage of making a handy defensive weapon should, God forbid, the need arise. You may want to consider keeping the light near your driver's seat instead of in the milk crate as you probably will use this item more often than many of the others and want it in easy reach. Whatever flashlight you choose, it should be waterproof and you should have extra batteries and an extra bulb.

A set of jumper cables are a must for your kit. While you do not need to pay a huge amount for them take care, you do get what you pay for. The cheap cables can melt through and leave you high and dry. Worse yet, they can cause damage to both vehicles. Look at all the prices and select one in the middle. You may want to consider a set which comes in a protective case; it makes storage and care easier. One more note on jumper cables, longer is better. In parking lots or on the side of the road you cannot always get vehicles right up bumper to bumper and it can be really annoying when you come up six inches short for connecting your cables.

If you are stuck in the snow, rain or any other conditions, miles from anywhere, in a situation where you feel rescuers may be searching for stranded motorists it is always a good idea to make it easier for them to spot your vehicle. A brightly colored marker panel will help with this. You can keep a bright orange cloth or one of those cheap rain ponchos, which you may buy for a dollar or two from any "box" store, in your milk crate. Hunters safety vests are, by their nature, highly visible and some of them can be purchased fairly cheaply.

Far and away, though the best item to have for this purpose is a military VS-17 panel. These are fluorescent orange on one side, and fluorescent red on the other. They have tie downs on all four corners and fold up nice and small. They are waterproof and designed to be tied down in high winds, for which they are tear resistant. You may purchase them for about $17 online or at a military surplus store. The best thing about a VS-17 panel is that it is specifically designed to be seen from the air. If you are stranded, in your car, during a snowstorm and rescuers are searching by airplane or helicopter, one of these panels will greatly increase your odds of being spotted during daylight hours. Whatever you use for a visible panel, it is little cost for a, potential, high return of investment. Do take care to keep the panel brushed off and not let snow cover it up after you have emplaced it. It does now good it is itself under a foot of snow.

Next up is a set of good road flares. Do not buy the cheap ones at your nearby "box store." Stop by a police supply store. Do not worry, it is not illegal to own real road flares. Buy about a dozen of them and, if you do not know how to use them get the clerk to show you. Before you leave the store, check and see if they sell a suitable box for the flares. You do not really need a special expensive box but you can take a look at the "flare box" then go to your local hardware store and buy a plastic tool box of similar size.

After many years working on a rescue squad I do feel I should include a word of caution on the use of flares. While nothing works quite as well as a flare for marking an incident, do use a little common sense in putting them down. If your car is wrecked check to make sure you are not leaking a liquid which is running toward where you are emplacing the flares. A liquid like, say gasoline. You may laugh but I have seen it done. Just use your head for something other than a hat rack here.

Flares bring us to fire which brings us to firefighting. You are not going to convert your car into a fire truck but there are a couple of things which you may add to your milk crate to help out.

The first and easiest is a shovel. No you do not need a big, full sized shovel. An old army entrenching tool will do nicely. The new type "tri-fold" "E-tools" are the best. They fold up nice and compact and take up little space. If you purchase one go ahead and buy a cover for it, this will protect the tool from getting scratched up. Keep the tool painted as it will rust. Make sure it stays well oiled and make sure you know how to open it up and lock it in place. If you cannot find a tri-fold e-tool then one of the old WWII-Vietnam era entrenching tools with the wooden handle and the fold down spade will do. They do not fold up as small but they are still compact and will get the job done in a pinch. Again, keep the metal parts painted and oiled. Make certain you know how to unfold it and lock it into place before using it. Do not waste your money on one of the cheap, "made in china" knock offs. They fall apart and break and there are plenty of the US military surplus ones to be had cheaply.

E-tools may also be used when you get stuck. If you are stuck in mud you may either shovel mud out from under the tire or shovel sand, gravel or dry dirt under your tire. If you are stuck in ice or snow you may bust up the ice and shovel snow out from under your tires.

The second firefighting tool you need is, of course, a good fire extinguisher. Note the phrase, "good fires extinguisher." This is one place you do not want to skimp as you will get what you pay for.

There are many "classes" of fires and extinguishers for fires. The most common are A, for your basic paper and wood product fires (and similar products), B, for flammable liquids, and C, for energized electrical wiring. A car or truck tends to have all of these classes and then some. There are also flammable metals, gases, and too many sub categories to name.

For these reasons there is no one "perfect" fire extinguisher for a vehicle. Many highly regarded experts in the field prefer dry chemical extinguishers. Even though these tend to leave a mess in your car, they coat every thing with a dry chemical residue and tend to prevent a fire from reigniting. They are not, however, terribly effective against burning liquids so many other experts like a gas extinguisher such as Halon or CO2 . However, both of these can be dangerous to trigger in an occupied vehicle because they work by removing the oxygen from the area and "smothering" the flames, therefore they tend to "smother" any people in the area also. In effect, they are poisonous; you do not want to breathe the out put from these extinguishers.

I worked for many years on a county rescue squad, rising to the rank of captain. We carried both kinds of extinguisher on the ambulances and crash trucks however, we almost exclusively used the CO2 ones for a vehicle fire. This said, our crews were trained in how to use these extinguishers in a rescue situation and we were using large, emergency vehicle sized extinguishers.

Whichever type you choose to go with, there are a few things you should consider before you make your purchase. Make certain the extinguisher has a large, visible gauge which is well and securely mounted. You want to be able to check your extinguisher, from time to time, to make sure it is still fully charged. When you purchase, make certain you understand the markings on that gauge, if you have questions ask the seller. Make VERY sure the gauge is securely mounted. A cheaply made, unsecure, gauge can break off, discharging the extinguisher inside your vehicle at an inopportune time, such as when you are driving in traffic. Not only does this make an awful mess but it potentially can be fatal if it causes you to wreck your vehicle by blinding you at a critical driving moment.

Next, you should purchase at least a five pound extinguisher. This will give you about twenty seconds of discharge. This may not sound like a lot but it is really quite a bit. Think of it this way, it is four five second shots at a fire. Anything smaller than five pounds is really not worth spending your money on.

The last hint on purchasing an extinguisher is this, buy one which is refillable. If, Lord forbid, you have to use it, if it is accidentally discharged or becomes depleted over time, you will find it cheaper to have the extinguisher refilled rather than to have to purchase a new one of this quality.

One more word I would like to throw in here personally. If you ever believe you have a fire under you're the hood of your vehicle, under no circumstances should you "pop" the hood and open it up. The fire NEEDS oxygen to burn, if you open the hood you are providing a sudden rush of fresh air and oxygen, the fire will burst into open flame. During my time on the 'squad we would poke a small hole in the hood of such a vehicle with a crash axe and then place the cone of a CO2 extinguisher over the hole. We then would trigger the extinguisher, flooding the engine compartment with CO2 gas and smothering the fire. This would usually contain things until a fire department pumper truck could arrive and arrange foam before trying to actually open the hood. If you do not have something to poke a hole in the hood I recommend you fit the nozzle of your extinguisher into a gap in your hood or the grill. Most vehicles have them, just do not waste too much time trying to find one,If you cannot do it fast and get the engine compartment flooded with fire retardant, then get away from the vehicle. You may love your car but it is not worth your life. No matter how special your car may be it can be replaced, you cannot.

Once you have an extinguisher, place it in your milk crate and secure it. You do not want it rolling loosely around your vehicle, which is a quick way to set it off accidentally. If it comes with a mounting rack and you are willing to mount it in your vehicles, this is all the better but the milk crate will do. Just keep the extinguisher on top as this is something you will want to get to fast if you ever need it.

A good first aid kit is a must also. You may make up your own or purchase one already prepared. There are several nice ones out there but I recommend an "industrial" quality first aid kit from a store which specializes in selling such equipment. Keep in mind this is something your life may depend on. You may wish to add a bottle of povidone-iodine solution to your first aid kit. This is what EMS crews use to clean wounds in the field and is far better than the usual antiseptic gels and solutions most people tend to buy at the drug store. Povidone-iodine is also available in the drug store in either an expensive named brand product or much less expensive generic. It is usually located near the large 4 inch x 4 inch type dressings and bandages in the "first aid" aisle. By the way, an assortment of those types of bandages and the tape to secure them is not a bad idea to add to your kit either. You should check you first aid kit, at least yearly, to ensure the items in it have not gone out of date. May you never need any of it.

Some last, loose odds and ends for your kit may include, several bottles of water, canned food (include a can opener, you could be frustrated without one), a stocking cap, gloves, extra socks, a jacket or coat, chemical heater packs (the kind you take out of the pack, shake up and they warm up), chemical icepacks (the kind you break the inner bag and they cool down), a pocket knife, ice scraper, a roll of toilet paper (it may sound silly but you may thank me for this) and a map book.

One last piece of equipment I recommend you obtain and keep near you in the vehicle is one of several varieties of tools for breaking a side window and cutting a seatbelt. You may purchase these tools at auto parts stores, Wal-Mart's, etc. You may also use a pocket knife and a small hammer. The point is to keep them near you in the vehicle. If you should ever find your self trapped in your vehicle underwater (i.e. you have driven off a bridge, or into a river or pond) you will be unable to open the doors due to water pressure. First cut your seat belt, if you cannot get it quickly unsnapped, then, with such a tool, or small hammer, you may quickly break the side window (not the windshield which is thick safety glass) and escape from the sinking vehicle. They may also be used if you are just trapped in the vehicle with the doors wedged shut and not underwater. These tools are inexpensive and may be kept with your flashlight, near the driver's seat.

Rescue personnel frequently carry a spring-loaded center punch, which you may purchase at a hardware store, for this purpose.

Again, evaluate the area you live in and think of things which may be of use to you. If you live in Florida swamp land then alligator repellent may be a nice addition. If you live in Alaska I would recommend a sleeping bag rated for temperatures down to -40 degrees. If you live in New York City then you may want to move. Ok, I am just not a city dweller, my apologies.

If you live in an extreme climate you will need a kit which will be quite a bit larger than a "milk crate" in size. When I lived in Alaska my kit filled an entire trunk and, given the clunker which I drove, was used fairly frequently. I currently live in central Virginia and need a far smaller emergency kit, though, with my background in emergency services, I still end up carrying a lot of equipment personally. Most state police departments and many local police and fire departments offer extra advice for local areas.

The bottom line is, it may be the Boy Scout motto but "be prepared" is a good plan for us all, particularly when we are driving and away from home where most of us have plenty of what we need.