Modern life cannot be imagined without car transportation. If you’re only dreaming of your own vehicle, pick your new car on JiJi, where you will find thousands of great ads from real people. And if you’re already a lucky car owner, you need to take measures for your own and your passengers’ safety. One of the first things you need to do is to create an emergency kit, where you can store items needed to repair the car or give medical attention in case of an accident.
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1. Fire extinguisher
If you’re lucky, a fire will never happen to you. However, there are cases when a fire appears in a car due to a collision or internal damage. If you detect a fire, don’t panic and begin by alerting the authorities. While you’re waiting for them to arrive, try to take care of the fire with a fire extinguisher. However, make sure to never stand too close to the fire and escort your passengers as far from the spot as possible.
2. A set of spanners
Of course, in case of some major breakage you’re going to need to take your car to a car mechanic, but if you’re driving through the middle of nowhere and suddenly feel that some of the components came loose, stop the car, take out your spanners, and use the right one to fix the problem. A spanner is also incredibly useful for cases when your car battery unexpectedly dies and you need to find a way to start a vehicle.
3. Bottled water
Clear bottled water is especially useful when you’re having a long distance trip from one city to another – open roads often don’t have a place where you can stop and buy some water, but since everyone knows that one of the condition of being fit is healthy is to always stay hydrated, you cannot stay without water for too long. Bottled water is also useful when you need to wash your hands and you forgot your wet wipes at home. Plus, if you’re travelling with small children, water is a must-have even on short trips.
4. Spare tyre
There is a reason why most cars sold these days in Nigeria are equipped with a spare tyre. Nobody wants an accident to happen, but it’s better to be protected against one than run around looking for a quick solution once the accident happens. A flat tyre is a rather common occurrence, and it’s very hard to avoid, which is why a spare tyre is another must have. In case of a flat tyre it will take you just about 15 minutes to replace a tyre, and you can do it all by yourself.
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5. Jumper cables
Although we’ve already talked about how spanners can help you jump start your car, but jumper cables are a more effective and safe way to do it, which is why it’s necessary to have a set of jumper cables with you at all times. Wait until your battery dies, take out the cables, connect one end to a working car battery, the other to your battery, and start both engines. Obviously, as soon as you get to the nearest car mechanic, let him take a look and determine what kind of battery problem you had.
6. First aid kit
This is an item on our list that is not designed to help your car – it is designed to help you and your family. It is often used in case of accidents, or when one of your passengers is not feeling well. At the very least, your first aid kit must contain disinfectants, blood-stopping materials, band aids, pain killing medicine, cold medicine, and any medicine needed to treat a specific condition you or your passengers have. Remember to regularly throw out expired contents of the kit, replacing them with fresh ones.
7. Warm clothes
You never know if your car will unexpectedly break down in the middle of the night on an empty highway. With the weather changing constantly during certain seasons, it’s essential to have a change of warm clothes, like a scarf, a jacket, or a hoodie, at hand. A blanket is also a great item – it can keep you warm at night while you stay in your car waiting for the help to come.
8. Emergency road sign
A red reflective triangle sign is the fastest and easiest way to tell other drivers that you or your car are in trouble. If you’re standing on the roadside with your car’s hood open, other drives may think you’re having a rest or that your car has overheated, but an emergency sign will tell them something more serious had happened and you might need their help.
