Essentials to keep in your vehicle

16th April 2021

Breakdowns are never pleasant and can come by surprise. Having the right essentials in your vehicle can prevent unexpected costs incurred during a breakdown. It can also save you hours stranded on the roadside awaiting assistance.

Whether you are heading on a short journey or road trip, it is important to have some safety and maintenance equipment in hand, so you can always be prepared.

With this in mind, we created a list including the essentials we recommend you to keep in your vehicle at all times. The list is not exhaustive as you may need different items, depending on your personal situation or your vehicle requirements.

Licence, registration and insurance are documents that we strongly recommend you to keep in your vehicle whilst driving it. Having these documents in your glovebox can save your time if you need to present them to the appropriate authority.

Spare wheel, jack, lug wrench and where necessary a locking wheel-nut adapter are essential items to keep in your vehicle in case you need to replace a flat tyre by the side of the road. It is also important to always keep your vehicle handbook in the glovebox, as there are important details and information necessary for the vehicle repair and equipment.

If you breakdown in the dark, having a torch can come very handy. A flashlight can help you alert others, for example, in situation where your vehicle has lost power. It can also help you safely move the vehicle from the road, find another items that you need, or to check under the bonnet.

We recommend not only to have the contact details of a breakdown service in your phone, but also to have it on a note and keep it in your vehicle, in case you don’t have a battery or access to your phone. By doing so, you will have the contact details ready, in case you need roadside assistance.

First aid kit not only can be crucial in an event of an accident, but it can be handy for minor injuries such as cuts or burns. Emergencies can happen to everyone on the road, so having a first aid kit can prevent mishaps from getting worse, or it can even help you save a life.

Sometimes breakdowns can take hours so having a drinking water in your vehicle can prevent dehydration. There are other benefits e.g. to wash your hands, or to clean wounds. It is also advisable to store the water out of direct sunlight.

Another recommendation we have is to always check your phone battery levels before going on a long journey, as well as the weather conditions so you can prepare accordingly.

Vehicle Walk Around Checkdownload (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf( is also highly recommended in order to improve safety levels and unscheduled downtime.

You can also read our guide about what to do if you break downdownload (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf(, to find out some handy tips on how to stay safe and avoid putting yourself in danger.

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