Things You Must Always Have in Your Car
Whether going on a long trip or not, the following things should always be in your car.
1. Essential Documents
Even if you use DigiLocker for digital vehicle documents, it's wise to carry physical copies as well, especially on road trips. Some remote routes may have poor network coverage, where physical documents can help avoid delays at Check Posts.
Below are the essential documents you must carry in your car.
- Valid driving licence
- Vehicle’s Registration Certificate (RC)
- Vehicle’s Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
- Valid insurance certificate
- ID proofs of all travellers
2. First-Aid Kit
A first-aid kit is a must while on the road. You never know when you or a fellow passenger might need primary medical attention.
While packing your first-aid kit, make sure it has the following things:
- Antiseptic cream
- Medicines for diarrhoea and vomiting
- Paracetamol for fever and pain
- Band-aids, gauze and bandages
- Doctor’s tape
- Scissors
- Cotton
- Sunburn cream
- Glucose
- Medicines that you need for an existing medical condition
3. Drinking Water
To enjoy your time on the road, you must stay hydrated. Thus, there must be a couple of bottles of drinking water in your car at all times. Depending on the duration of your trip, you can also carry large bottles of drinking water in the boot of your car. Extra water will also help if your car gets overheated or you need to clean something.
Things to Carry in Your Car on a Road Trip
Now, let’s look into the essential things to carry on a road trip.
1. Emergency Kit
An emergency kit includes a variety of things you might need during a bad situation on the road. Tools like window breakers, warning triangles, a flashlight, a mini fire extinguisher, etc., should be in your car. You can pack other necessary items based on the route of your journey and weather conditions to stay prepared for emergencies.
2. Phone Chargers and USB Cables
You will need your smartphones charged to make calls, make payments, and find directions or places to eat/stay nearby. So, you must carry phone chargers in the car. Also, don’t forget about the USB cables to connect your mobile phone to your car’s music system and play your favourite songs.
3. Some Cash
These days, you don’t have to rely on cash to make payments. You can use digital payment wallets, debit cards, and credit cards at most places. But that might not be the case during road trips, especially in remote locations. Hence, it would be wise to keep some cash for situations when other payment options fail.
4. Snacks and Water
On a long road trip, sometimes you don’t know when you’re going to find the next place to eat. Hence, it is better to carry some snacks to munch on and enough drinking water to keep your body hydrated. Snacks such as fruits, chips, cookies and energy bars are easy to carry on a long journey.
5. Toiletries
The benefit of keeping toiletries available is the ability to clean yourself wherever you find a washroom on the road. Your toiletry kit can include a face wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, a hand towel, sanitary napkins, etc. Thus, you can use toilets at fuel stations or restaurants to feel fresh and clean.
6. Tissues and Wipes
Tissues will be a quick solution to any spillage inside the car. Hand wipes and face wipes will help you clean up after a quick snack. Keep enough tissues and wipes, especially if you have kids with you on a journey.
7. Hand Sanitiser
Hand sanitisation has become extremely important since the outbreak of COVID-19. But, it isn’t possible to find water to wash hands while on the road. Thus, you should carry hand sanitisers while driving on the road.
8. Garbage Bags
You might not find a dustbin everywhere while driving. Hence, keeping garbage bags in your car will let you collect all the waste until you find a dustbin. You can make your trips more eco-friendly by managing your waste on a road trip.
During long journeys, there is a possibility that you will have to repair your car in the middle of nowhere. These kinds of situations will be easier to tackle if you have the right tools handy. So, here are a few of the important tools you must carry on a road trip.
1. Puncture Kit
A tyre puncture can stop your journey anywhere. So, you should keep a puncture kit in your car just in case there’s no puncture shop around to help you out. You can also carry a portable tyre inflator to maintain pressure on wheels as required.
2. Spare Tyre
A spare tyre should be in your vehicle at all times in case you require a replacement while on the road. You should keep a car jack and wheel wedges to quickly change tyres whenever needed.
3. Tow Strap
This will be an important tool if you find yourself needing to tow your car to a workshop. If your car breaks down, you can request a fellow driver on the road to help you tow it to a repair shop.
4. Life Hammer
This tool is for extreme situations that don’t happen very often, but you should be ready. A life Hammer is for cutting the seat belt and breaking the window glass of your car to get out in an emergency.
5. Jumper Cables
If your car’s battery shuts down, you can use the jumper cables to easily start it back up with the help of someone else’s car.
6. Flashlight
Car troubles don’t always happen during the day. Your car can break down at night as well, which is why you need a flashlight with extra batteries for such situations.
7. Repair Gloves
You won’t want to get injured and create another crisis for yourself while trying to repair your car. Hence, it is extremely important to wear cut-proof repair gloves while fixing your car.
Also, read: 5 Measures Taken by Officials to Reduce Road Accidents
