Winter driving series: what should be in your survival kit

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Winter brings a whole new set of driving hazards. Being prepared can make them a lot less hazardous.

Making sure your car is in good shape for the winter isn't necessarily limited to the condition of the car itself, it should also extend to what you keep in the car, particularly if you live in an area that gets lots of snow.

If you do lot of mileage through the winter months, then an emergency 'survival kit' of essential items is a good thing to keep in your car, just in case a the worst should happen.

Here's a checklist of some of things you should carry in your car for carefree winter driving.

Ice scraper

Pretty obvious really. If you stop for any time and the cold really hits, then you will need one of these. Check out our handy guide for clearing your windscreen.

* How to clear your windscreen

* Silly questions about motoring in really wintry weather

It's not just the dog that will appreciate a warm blanket in the car if you break down this winter.

* Baby-boomers best prepared for NZ's winter motoring**

Emergency tool

Something that everyone should keep in their glovebox year round is one of those weird-looking little hammer things you see attached to bus windows.

Not only can they break a car window in an emergency, they also have a small cutting blade in the handle that can be used to cut a seatbelt.

No-one enjoys digging snow with their hands - keeping a small shovel in your car can make all the difference.

No-one likes to think about a situation where you might need this, but it could well save your life.

Warm clothes and blankets

Leaving a few warm jackets, blankets, socks, etc in the car could literally prove to be a lifesaver if you get stuck somewhere far away and very cold. Or at the very least, make life way more comfortable if you didn't dress appropriately in the first place.

While your phone may make a decent torch in a pinch, a proper torch - with spare batteries - can make all the difference.

Food and drink

Some non-perishable food or hard candies tucked in the glovebox can come in handy if you are stuck somewhere for some time, and packing extra food, water and a thermos of something hot is always a good idea if you are off on a long journey in wintry conditions.

A small shovel

There is very little worse than trying to dig yourself out of a situation with your hands, particularly when it is freezing cold, so a small shovel or snow shovel could be very much appreciated if you should come across something deeper than you first thought…

Jump leads

Some gumboots in the boot over winter will be a blessing if you actually need them.

Batteries can and do fail in cold weather, so whether these come to your rescue, or enable you to rescue someone else, they are always handy. Of course, you should really keep some in your car year round, but particularly in winter.

A torch and batteries

While some modern cars come with a rechargeable, removable torch built into the boot (Skoda, for example) keeping a light source (and spare fresh batteries) in your car is a very good idea in winter. And rather handy year round too - punctures don't wait for daylight to happen.

Of course, while your mobile phone does make a decent torch in a pinch, if its battery is running low you probably won't want to waste it using it as a torch.

Map book or sat nav

Again, while many modern cars come with some form of embedded satellite navigation, getting disoriented at night or in snow can make for disaster.

Some form of hi-vis vest or sign kept in your car will make sure other motorists can see you at night.

Also, while modern phones have satellite navigation in them, having no signal can limit them or even make them useless - a sat nav unit or good old map book doesn't have that particular problem.

Warm waterproof footwear and gloves

Keeping some gumboots or other waterproof boots in the boot of your car might seem a bit unnecessary, but trust us - if you ever do need them, you will appreciate them. Spending the rest of the day with wet, cold feet is never fun.

Not having gloves can also easily ruin your day too. Have you ever tried changing a tyre in the freezing cold with bare hands? It's not fun.

You don't need this many, but keeping a few basic tools in your car is a good idea.

Sunglasses

Yep, sunglasses.

While we tend to associate winter with dark, dreary days, snow can be very bright and dazzling.

Polarised sunglasses (particularly ones with yellow or orange lenses) are also extremely good at increasing visibility on dull days as well.

If you drive in areas that get a lot of snow, then keeping a set of chains in your car is essential. Even if it is a Bentley.

High visibility jacket or warning sign

If you need to get out of your car on the side of the road on a dark winter's night, then you need to be seen.

Even if you have a torch, it may not always be visible to approaching motorists, but a reflectorised jacket or warning sign will be.

Extra windshield washer fluid and spare wiper blades

Visibility out of the car is also vital in winter, so running out of windshield washer fluid or having your wiper blades disintegrate in the middle of a dark, rainy night is the last thing you need. Carry spares because you probably won't know where the nearest service station is, or even if it will be open.

A basic tool kit

This is also something you should keep in you car year round, particularly if it is an older car.

Even if you aren't terribly mechanically capable yourself, a small array of basic tools like a screwdriver, pliers and an adjustable wrench could prove invaluable to someone who might stop to help you.

A first-aid kit

Again, this is something that you probably should have in your car year-round (or it came with your car), but in winter, when slippery roads are far more common, it is vital.

Tyre chains

Everything tyre related should, of course, be in your car - a tyre gauge, spare tire (with air in it!), tyre-changing equipment - but making sure at the start of winter that everything is present and correct is essential.

If you live in an area that gets snow, or are travelling to one, then the ideal time to double (or triple) check all this is when you put the snow chains in the boot.

A bag of abrasive material

If you spend a lot of time driving in snow, then a bag of sand, salt or non-clumping kitty litter can be very helpful indeed.

Something abrasive like this can provide extra traction if a tyre gets stuck in snow, and mean the difference between making it home and shivering in your car.

Let us know in the comments what you check on your car for winter motoring - and any secret tips / hacks you have!

- Stuff