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Protect Your Teen & Organize an Emergency Kit for Their Car
Getting stuck in the snow and cold weather, can be scary. It happened to me as a college student when I drove home from school one winter.
I remember being stuck in snow, at the top of a mountain pass thinking, “all I have is a box of Cracker Jacks and mittens!” Thank goodness I wasn’t stuck too long!
Emergencies can happen in all kinds of weather and at a moment’s notice. No matter the time of year, it will help us as parents to feel secure knowing our kids have what they need in case of an emergency. Protect your teen and organize a roadside emergency car kit.
RELATED POST: Best Car Trash Cans to Get Car Organized
EMERGENCY CAR KIT CHECKLIST
To create your own car kit, here is a list of what is recommended have to be prepared:
- First Aid Kit
- Jumper cables
- Window scraper
- Blanket, gloves and other gear
- Water and granola bars
- Flashlight
- Tissues
- Books to help pass the time
- Charged cell phone/cell phone charger
- Small snow shovel
One spring break our family took a trip to Portland and rented a car. We enjoyed a leisurely drive up the coast with Seattle being our final destination. We found some cool beaches on the way, and noticed people driving on them. So we did the same.
However, we had no knowledge of were to drive . . . . you guessed it, we ended up on soft sand when we went to exit the beach. Our wheels kept spinning.
I noticed cars parked near by and ran to one truck. I asked the man it he had anything that could help us dig out of the sand. He said that morning something told him to ‘put a shovel in the car!‘
Between the shovel and a couple guys helping us, we dug our way out! Being prepared is awesome! After it was over, I decided that it was a fun adventure . . . maybe not one I want to repeat.
Roadside Emergency Kit
AAA 42 Piece Emergency Road Assistance Kit
MAKE FIRST AID KIT
This is an extensive list. Some store bought first aid kits are more basic.
- Adhesive bandages in a variety of shapes and sizes
- Gauze pads in variety of sizes
- Antiseptic wipes
- Antibacterial cream
- Butterfly bandages for open cut
- Non-stick sterile pads
- Adhesive medical tape
- Cottonballs
- Pain relievers
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Hand sanitizer
- Saline solution
- Non-latex gloves
- Vaseline
- Safety pins
- Plastic bags
- Breathing barrier
- Thermometer
- Medicine cup
- Stretchy Ace bandage wrap
- Personal medicine that doesn’t need fridge (epi-pen, etc.)
- Calamine lotion (bug bites)
- Cough/cold medicine
- Motion sickness medicine
- Aloe vera for burns
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Laxative
- Antacids
- Antihistamine
You can load these supplies into a small plastic container, like a plastic shoebox with a lid.
To make your own kits, you can print out the suggested list:
ROADSIDE EMERGENCY CAR KIT SUPPLY LIST
All-purpose First Aid Kit, Soft Case with Zipper, 299-Piece Kit, LargeBe Smart Get Prepared – 250 Piece First Aid Kit
ROADSIDE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
There are a number of companies that offer roadside assistance. Your car insurance carrier may offer roadside assistance or it may even be part of your current coverage. Call and ask.
Other companies include: (I am not an affiliate for these companies)
- Onstar
- AAA – American Automobile Association
- Allstar Motor Club
- Good Sam Roadside
- Allstate Motor Club
I recommend comparing the benefits and prices as they all vary.
ACCIDENT INFORMATION
In case your teen gets into an accident, it’s important they have all they need ready and available. You probably already have the insurance card in glove box.
Having forms available in case of an accident can make the incident go smoother and assure that all the information you need for insurance purposes is available.
You can use the link below to download the checklist from NOLO, sheets to copy and keep on hand for accidents.
Having your teen ready for any kind of emergency will give you peace of mind. This is especially true if your teen is driving a distance to college.
We have taught our son how to change a tire, and may need a few times to practice to build the confidence. This is good just in case roadside isn’t available. The more we are prepared the less likely we will have issues. If we do, we can be confident and ready!
Be safe and keep warm!
