{"id":78,"date":"2020-08-13T17:48:08","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T17:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/?p=78"},"modified":"2023-11-07T16:06:21","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T16:06:21","slug":"guide-to-building-an-emergency-car-kit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/13\/guide-to-building-an-emergency-car-kit\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Building an Emergency Car Kit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2019, the National Safety Council reported a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/wgme.com\/news\/local\/new-data-crash-deaths-down-2-nationwide-up-35-in-maine#:~:text=Preliminary%20estimates%20indicate%2038%2C800%20people,vehicle%20deaths%20are%20up%2035%25.&amp;text=NSC%20reports%20172%20motor%20vehicle,a%2035%25%20increase%20from%202018.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">35% increase in motor vehicle deaths in Maine compared to 2018<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which was the highest year over year increase in the United States. Accidents can happen without warning, no matter how much of a seasoned driver you are, but if you\u2019re prepared for the unexpected you can significantly reduce the risk of injury and death in the event of a collision. Whether you\u2019re driving a mile down the road or embarking on a long road trip, it\u2019s important to keep an emergency kit readily available in your vehicle with all the essentials you may need should you break down, experience an accident, or simply get lost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To help you keep yourself and your family safe, we\u2019ve compiled the ultimate guide to putting together your own emergency car kit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Why You Need An Emergency Car Kit<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Up here in Maine, the weather can be unpredictable year-round. From the hot, humid temperatures in the summer to the frigid cold and snowstorms in the winter, we have to be prepared for it all. Because of these frequent weather changes, it\u2019s crucial to be prepared for anything. At any time, your car can break down or you can experience an emergency that results in being stranded on the side of the road for extended periods of time. If you have an emergency kit, you can help protect yourself and your loved ones while you wait for emergency responders to assist you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What To Include<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to emergency essentials, there are a few items you should keep in your car in the event of an accident. When putting together your kit, here\u2019s a breakdown of what you should include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First aid kit \u2014 this should have the basics for medical emergencies including but not limited to backup medications, bandages and gauze, splints, sterile pads, and gloves.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portable charger \u2014 if your car battery dies, this will help you keep your cellphone working as long as possible to call for help.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bottled water \u2014 you should keep several bottles in your car whenever you travel far distances.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blankets \u2014 if you break down or experience an accident in cold weather, a blanket will help keep you and your passengers warm to prevent hypothermia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flashlight \u2014 this is an important item to have for emergencies and should be one that you can manually charge should the batteries run out.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-perishable snacks \u2014 some of the best items to keep in your emergency kit for nourishment are granola bars and nuts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reflectors \u2014 emergency hazard triangles to place near the rear of your car to alert oncoming traffic of your disabled vehicle.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Map \u2014 if you get lost, a map can help guide you to safer roads if you should lose cell phone service.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Windshield wiper fluid and ice scrapers \u2014 if you get caught in a storm without these items, you won\u2019t have visibility should you find a way to drive to safety.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What to do following an accident:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stop immediately, but do not obstruct traffic \u2014 As soon as you\u2019re involved in an accident, stop your car. If possible, try to get out of the way of other vehicles.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check for any injuries and have someone call the police \u2014 Do a mental and physical check to make sure you and any passengers in your car are safe and call 911 if anyone is injured. Whether an accident is considered a minor fender-bender or a major collision, calling the police is important so they can file a report for your insurance claim.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obtain information \u2014 After the incident, exchange names, phone numbers, addresses of other drivers, witnesses, injured people, make, model and license plate numbers of all cars involved.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Document the accident \u2014Take pictures of your vehicle from different angles, showing the damage done to both cars. It might also be a good idea to take pictures of the other car\u2019s license plate and the badge number of the responding officer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notify your insurance company and start the claims process \u2014 Notify your insurance professional about the accident as soon as possible, even on the scene of the accident. The sooner your report it, the more details you\u2019ll remember.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building an emergency kit with this guide in mind may keep you and your passengers safe should you experience an emergency. If you have any related questions, please visit our website to find a local agent near you: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/patrons.com\/find-agent.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/patrons.com\/find-agent.htm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2019, the National Safety Council reported a 35% increase in motor vehicle deaths in Maine compared to 2018, which [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":79,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78\/revisions\/123"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patrons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}