How Have You Prepared Your Car For A Winter Emergency?

There’s no harm in hoping for the best, as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” Stephen King

Although the holidays may be over, winter weather, icy roads and limited visibility are not. Obviously, you should try to avoid driving in conditions like this, but sometimes they just sneak up on you, and other times you simply can’t avoid it.

So your best line of defense is a good offense, and be prepared to protect yourself and anyone else who may be traveling with you, in case…

• you slide off the road
• your car gets stuck in a ditch
• you end up stranded on a less traveled road
• the roads are too icy or snowy to continue

Keeping a properly stocked winter emergency kit in your car can help keep you comfortable until help comes, or you can get back on the road…it could even help you survive.

Where do you find emergency kits?

Although they can be a little pricey to purchase, winter emergency kits can be purchased at many stores such as auto stores or even some of the big box stores. But if you’d like to spend just a little time, you could assemble a kit that would be more personalized to fit your needs.

Assembling a winter emergency kit for your car…

If you’re going to build your own, here are some important things to include:

Start with a large, sturdy storage bin to keep your supplies in. (it doesn’t have to be pink!) The nice  thing about this is when you need them, they are all in one place, they take up less room in your car, and they can easily be taken out of your car and stored in your garage until the next winter.

Include:

1. First aid kit
2. Something to signal other drivers, to flag them down or warn them, such as reflectors or flares
3. Flashlight and extra batteries
4. Small foldable shovel
5. Small bag of kitty litter (the non-clumping kind) for traction
6. Window scrapers
7. Blanket or sleeping bag in case your car runs out of gas and the heater will no longer work
8. Warm gloves and hats
9. Jumper cables
10. Cell phone charger
11. A few basic tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, a wrench and some duct tape
12. Drinking water and non-perishable snacks
13. Matches
14. Paper and pencil

If you really want to be prepared, go to Ready.gov for more recommendations.

At Whitcomb Insurance we appreciate the opportunity to sit down with our clients, and we would be happy to sit down with you, answer any questions you might have, whether it’s about auto, homeowners, small business or life insurance. You can count on us to be totally honest and upfront with you!

Along with great insurance options, we also offer Financial Services. You can count on us to be totally honest and upfront with you!

Contact us or give us a call at 425-391-8731.