I carry a fire extinguisher and first aid kit in the car. Never used them, but be prepared.
And when I had an accident I was rear ended, which prevented the back being opened, preventing access to first aid kit and fire extinguisher. Can\'t think of a way around that.
I also carry
a warning triangle
space blanket
torch
life hammer (seat belt cutter, window breaker)
coat, hat,gloves (both the warm sort and the disposable sort)
Durelli
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I carry a fire extinguisher and first aid kit in the car. Never used them, but be prepared. And when I had an accident I was rear ended, which prevented the back being opened, preventing access to first aid kit and fire extinguisher. Can't think of a way around that.
I have a floor-mounted fire extinguisher for the back passenger seat footwell.
Also, I have one of those string shopping basket arrangements on the back of the front seats, which allow me to put the First Aid box in there (along with the other bits and bobs).
The gloves issue is obviously very poignant here - we invented HIV, by the way - I carry a spare full set of clothing (in the boot), a bottle of alcohol for cleansing purposes, several pairs of gloves, and several 'mouth-to-mouth' masks.
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That's what I like about this site - finding out how driving SHOULD be done.
My car contains some empty fag packets, some chewing gum and the owner manual. I'd never really considered kitting myself out for an emergency. I'm now going to give it some serious thought.
Thanks
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Smokie - here's the 'basics'.
(Maye Mark RLBS can make this a FAQ or a new thread?
Others - please feel free to add ...
Extinguisher
First Aid Kit (helps to do a first-aid course - normally free through companies, if you ask them!)
Rubber gloves
Breathing masks
Torch (ideally one of those head-mounted ones, plus a static white light/orange flashing unit)
cleansing alcohol
note book
pencils (pens don't write in the rain)
disposable camera
basic tool kit
Warning triangle
Clothing:
Waterproof jacket (w/proof trousers optional)
jeans
socks/undies/vest/t-shirts [they also double as bandages, if necessary]
Wellies/stout boots
Gloves
wooly-pully
Towel
hat
reflective bib/belt
space blanket
old blanket/tarp
Slap it all in a kitbag, and secure to the seat with a bungee cord, to stop sliding about.
Additions welcome.
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All the above &
Spare bulbs for:-
indicators,
rear & brake lights,
head lights.
Approved container for a spare gallon of fuel.
(I have had to use this a couple of times, not for my car though...)
Spare fuses.
I think I need a bigger car!
John R
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Thank goodness the5 has more boot space than the 3 !!!!!!!!!
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Remember the episode of The Sweeny, where Regan has a new driver?
Much to his disgust, Jack opens the glove box to find a yellow duster & some fresh fruit.
Driver, with no uncertain terms, was told to ensure that in future, only Mars bars, fags & crisps should be carried!!!
Just to confirm,in addition to most of the listed items, I carry emergency eyewash kit & the kitchen sink.Well it's really an elecric heated handwash unit, fitted in the back door of my van.
VERY useful,especially if it's freezing cold, outside.
Mark
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Remember the episode of The Sweeny, where Regan has a new driver? Much to his disgust, Jack opens the glove box to find a yellow duster & some fresh fruit. Driver, with no uncertain terms, was told to ensure that in future, only Mars bars, fags & crisps should be carried!!!
Hehe - famous scene! The driver was Kevin Savage, these days a TV presenter in Cape Town (also one of my occasional drinking companions!)
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"Remember the episode of The Sweeny, where Regan has a new driver?
Much to his disgust, Jack opens the glove box to find a yellow duster & some fresh fruit.
Driver, with no uncertain terms, was told to ensure that in future, only Mars bars, fags & crisps should be carried!!!"
Was it the episode called "Stopo Driver" ??
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I've often thought about mounting a fire extinguisher on the bottom of the drivers seat in the footwell, it's only a couple of small screws, but I've been a bit worried about going through wiring etc.
Having said that most car fires are in the engine, the advise is to pop the bonnet to the latch at the front and then to spray the extinguisher through that gap. The bonnet can be opened a while later if there's no sign of fire, or wait for the fire brigade to open it.
There was a thing on tomorows world years ago which was basically a fire extinguisher in a flexible hose. This would be fitted to the inside of the bonnet. If there was a fie it would puncture the hose in the hottest spot, thus causing fire extinguisher to go straight onto the fire in the right place.
Sounded like a great idea, whatever happened to it?
Durelli
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Add: One or more of those button-activated warming pouches (available from Boots, Millets, etc.); compass.
Oz (as was)
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After seeing the pictures of the wild M11 a few weeks ago you could think of things like Kendal mint cake/choclate (I'm not sure about the shelf life of that though)
I've though about getting some disposable flares.
I came across an accident in fog a few years ago. There were already various people there and they actually had someone laid out on the road. Cars were coming out of thick fog onto this. I reversed a bit with my hazards on to try and give some warning, but cars were seeing me and shooting off at angles. It was a multi storey car park waiting to happen.
The police came to sort things out and I thought it best to get out of the way.
Anyway I though the thing then was to one of those little flares, that could be left on the road a distance in front of the accident to give warning but not get in the way.
Durelli
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A flare that lasts a couple of minutes, hmmm.
A flare that if you came upon it unexpectedly in the road might cause a second smash, double hmmmmm (with oak leaf cluster)
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I've often thought about mounting a fire extinguisher on the bottom of the drivers seat in the footwell, it's only a couple of small screws, but I've been a bit worried about going through wiring etc.
I have used extra long heavy duty cable ties to fix my fire ext. to the beam supporting the front seats.
Easily removed when selling the car, and no holes!
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I also carry his 'n' hers reflective waistcoats bought for a pittance off the web. Whatever situation you find yourself in they could be useful.
Also a 2-ton trolley jack (capacity, not physical weight!) and a torque wrench. But that's tools and you could fill the boot with that stuff and have no room for luggage!
Terry
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I was helping a friend to change a wheel on a Audi A4 which was a few months old, after a slow puncture recently. Took all the nuts off etc, no joy with the wheel.
My next door neighbour is in to cars and said the alloy was probably welded to the wheel, so I held a peice of wood over the wheel while he gave it a few good thumps with a full size sledge hammer. Still no joy, so I put the nuts back on and told my freind to go to a dealer and get it changed.
This made me think that the chances of changing a wheel at the side of the road are diminishing with modern cars.
There's no way I plan to carry a sledge hammer and wooden block with me.
Durelli
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with regard to the "tube type" fire extinguisher, they are availible , have a friend with competition waterski boat , it is a condition of his insurance that one is fitted in engine compartment .I also carry magnetic flashing beacon in boot to be certain i am seen if the need arises
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This made me think that the chances of changing a wheel at the side of the road are diminishing with modern cars.
There's no way I plan to carry a sledge hammer and wooden block with me.
Durelli, check this out:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=i&t=92...6
Oz (as was)
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Add to this one of those extendable/telescopic wheel nut wrenches...much easier for SWMBO to remove wheel nuts, just remember to reduce its length before tightening nuts back up.
Ian L.
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And your LOCKING wheel nut key or socket...
John R
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[snip - its a Motoring site]
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And where not to put what you carry:
Being loaded to the gunwales with airbags, anti-intrusion bars, and goodness knows what else in all the places where my Vectra Estate had extremely useful and well designed cubbies, I have struggled to squirel away in my new V70 all the paraphenalia previously carried around with ease.
Looking for somewhere to put the rather large, very solid, four D-cell Maglite, I spied the gap between the spare wheel and the rear face of the well it sits in. Perfect thought I. Then it occurred to me "Why did Volvo choose to place the spare wheel FORWARDS of centre, making it more difficult to lift out, when the logical place was in the middle of the well, or towards the back to make it easier to lift without a hernia?"
I wonder if this is part of the crumple zone design, and that if I place a nice solid object between the wheel well rear wall and the spare wheel itself, in the event of a minor or moderate rear end shunt, I am likely to end up with a much more damaged car, as more of the force gets transmitted forwards in to the floorpan?
I admit that I have not taken the wheel out yet to see what exists underneath, so may be writing rubbish, but I don't think so.
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I have to carry a fire extinguisher (2litre foam) and approved first aid kit, by law. Also have rigger gloves, 3-cell Maglite (one end for seeing house numbers, the other end for seeing stars!), pens, paper, road atlas, spare bulb kit, 10/13mm spanner, reversible philips/flat blade screwdriver, thin electrical screwdriver (for two-way radio connections!), scissors, black tape, phone charger lead and hi-vis waistcoat. All of this is stored under the boot floor and in the side compartments, except for the torch, which goes in my door pocket. Strangely enough, I only ever have to use any of the tools to help other cab drivers, never used them on my own car!
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Nobody has mentioned a footpump or tyre pressure gauge? I dont trust any forecourt equipment having seen how it is abused. I always use my own pump and gauge. Had my tyres let down in a carpark the other week....one spare is not very useful in this situation, 5 mins later I was able to drive again. Also useful to check the spare before driving on it.
regards
Ian L.
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Strange, Dtd, exactly the same principle happened to me on my bike. Now obviously the opportunities to carry stuff are more limited, but when going on a run with a mate I initally carried enough kit to replace the main bearings in the engine, however I rationalised this over time, but it was always the other bikes that needed fixing.
Most annoying though was when going to Knockhill to see bike racing some 100 miles away from home, saw some other bikers stopped at the side of the road with a problem. Stopped to assist and on trying to unlock the saddle to get to the few tools I carried, bent the ignition key. It turned out that my spare sparkplug had moved slightly and jammed the catch, and my excessive gusto put a half twist in the key.
Despite straightening the key with pliers it refused to turn in the ignition lock or the steering lock. I didn't know how to hotwire or fancy ripping the bike wiring loom to bits so I had to leave the bike hidden behind some complete strangers house with a note through the door, ride pillion 100 miles back to Aberdeen, pick up spare key, cadge lift back down to Knockhill and then ride back up again.
Needless to say on long trips I now carry my spare keys on my person somewhere.
Chris TD
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this question was asked recently in uk.rec.cars.maintenance.
here's the list they ended up with
(less the 7 1/2 tonner you need to carry it around in ;-)
Mobile phone
Phone numbers
Tyre pressure gauge
Accident checklist
Pencils
Map
Light for cigar lighter socket
Battery torch
Towel, blanket, hat, wellies, gloves
Jump leads
Tow rope
Mechanic's plastic seat cover
A few plastic bags
Rope or string, gaffer tape
A plastic shovel
Foil emergency blanket.
Condoms.
Disposable/Single use camera (with flash?).
AA/Rac Card
Spare ignition key well hidden in vehicle.
Warning triangle
De-Icer/Oil/Screen Wash/WD-40
Spare parts
Spare tyre/Jack/wheel brace.
Key for your locking wheel nuts.
Phone charger
Screwdriver set, spanner roll (Draper - 6-19mm),socket set
Hammer and a breaker bar.
Trolley jack
Roll of red and white barrier tape.
Something to read
Fan belt and alternator drive belt
Top and bottom hose
Insurance certificate
Contact number for the insurance company
Where to phone in case of windscreen damage
Breakdown company details
Handwash
Roll of kitchen towels
Insulating tape
Disposable gloves
Squeezy washing up liquid bottle containing dilute screenwash
Squeegee
Ice scraper
Microfibre cloth
Spare glasses & sunglasses
Wood to put the jack on if the ground is soft
Knee pads
Warm and friendly woman
Emergency triangle
Reflective waistcoat or overcoat (like road workers wear)
Handheld GPS receiver
Spare bulbs kit (bought or self made up)
Top-ups (oil, screenwash, water)
First aid kit
Tie wraps and fishing line
Leatherman, Swiss Army knife or other multitool
Anti-freeze and scraper
Food (non-perishable and high energy)
Money (odd tenner for emergencies)
7 iron. Far easier to explain than a baseball bat :-)
Fuel can
Gallon of water for emergency screen cleaning in high salt conditions
Garden hose and a funnel as portable urinal when held up
Milk bottle for emergencies as above
Magnifier for map reading
Sacking for wheel grip
Flask of coffee
Notebook
Binoculars
Umbrella
Boot organiser
luggage netting / elastic straps
Tape measure
Notebook
Oily rag. Every car should have an oily rag!
Portable 'jump start' pack (keep well charged.)
Fire extinguisher (for tackling small fires before they get the chance
to become big fires - in the
event of big fires, run away!)
Compressor or foot pump (If the puncture isn't too serious and the
weather is bad, this will get you
to the nearest place with some shelter to change the wheel.)
Roof bars (they can come in handy if you unexpectedly need to shift a
large load, and they don't
take up much boot space.)
Small container of salt/sand/grit or similar.
Towing eye - if the car has a removable one, then make sure it's kept in
the car!
Spare 'pay as you go' phone SIM card on a different network to your
usual one: If stuck for network
coverage in an emergency, your spare card might just work (There's lots
of places where my
Orange pre-paid SIM works and my Vodafone contract one doesn't.)
Something to identify the driver: name, address, date of birth,
telephone number, current medical
conditions and medications; next of kin and details of same.
Sachet of dehydrated 'Land-Rover' - Just add to water and stir, then
wait for your instant 'Land-Rover' to appear.
(This should be used together with the tow-rope, as a get-you-home
measure.)
--
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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I carry:
1st aid kit
Torch
Blanket
AA card.
Mobile.
Anything serious and ring AA.
Waste of time carrying anything else imo.. if it breaks its likely to be too complex to fix...
madf
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If you're going to carry a fire extinguisher, get a decent size on. I stopped a lorry on the M6 last year that had just caught fire, unbeknown to the driver. The puny Halfords job I had in the boot gave a feeble squirt (I've seen London's Burning, so got it as close as possible into the base of the flames) into what was a smallish fire under the cab, no joy, so had to stand back and let it develop into a major fire which gutted the vehicle. A larger size would have probably done the trick.
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Stuff I carry:
Torch and spare batteries
Blanket
Compressor
Jump Leads
Detachable Towing eye
Jack and Wheel Brace
Wet Wipes
Bottle of water
Accident kit (camera, pen, forms etc)
Rescue Services card
A-Z
Emergency Fuel
Warning Triangle
Aerosol Tyre Sealant
About £3-5 worth small change
Mobile phone charger
Car Handbook (came in very useful 1st time I had to change a tyre)
Pen and pencil and paper
Blu-tack, sellotape and scissors (not sure why!)
Spare valve caps
Carrier bags
Sunglasses
Sun Visor (being very short the car visor does nothing to help me)
Gloves
I also have a portable jump start that I don't carry, in case the car won't start while I'm at home - anywhere else and I'll call the rescue service
I've just realised how ridiculous this is - out of all the things I carry, a 1st aid kit isn't one of them (and me a first-aider too!) I think I need slapped wrists and an immediate remedy. I think it's about time I got out the notes from my 1st aid course and find out what a standard decent 1st aid kit should contain and set about making one. We were told the ready-made kits are no use.
I'm also going to get a tow rope as well
I think I've covered about every eventuality, or at least I will have once I've got a 1st aid kit and tow rop. I didn't realise I carried quite so much stuff until I sat down now to list everything, I find it quite amazing the amount of stuff I manage to accumulate over a relatively short space of time.
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I must admit that there are a fair few things in my car such as tool kit, phone charger, handbook, warning triangle, atlas, etc but most are there 'cos I am too lazy to remove them. In winter I also bung in a hat, gloves, waterproof just in case. But if I were to follow the advice above I'd need to have a trailer on the back to carry it all. I wonder:-
1. How many of these things have ever been useful to those who carry them (or are they just insurance?)?
2. What the position is with regard to using First Aid Kits on third parties even if one is a trained first aider. I would be very apprehensive about giving first aid to someone else. Perhaps a mobile phone to dial 999 ambulance would be better advice
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"I would be very apprehensive about giving first aid to someone else"
Phil, Are you seriously saying that you'd stand and watch someone bleed to death when all they needed was a bit of pressure on a wound - or that you wouldn't douse a burns victim with water to prevent bad burns becomimg fatal burns? And all because you were afraid they might sue you for saving their life.
I sincerely hope that you're not the only bystander standing over me (or one of your relatives) if my/their life's ebbing away.
I can understand that you might not feel able to offer resus, or heart compresssion (although it's not difficult to learn) but a bit of common sense goes a long way when you're faced with someone's son/daughter/grand-dad dying because you haven't the courage or where-with-all to do something about it.
A mobile phone to call for help is a great idea but help doesn't come in an instant -- and you're saying that it's best just to fulfill that one errand and let someone else, with a bit more go in them, save a life rather than readjust your priorities, OR, if there isn't anyone else about - do nothing.
I don't often get heated about issues but your comments are appalling. We're not talking car polish or oil levels - we're talking about saving a life - something you seem not to want to do.
KB.
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My dictionary says apprehensive means "fearful". Perhaps you have interpreted it as "reluctant"
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I wonder:-2. What the position is with regard to using First Aid Kits on third parties even if one is a trained first aider. I would be very apprehensive about giving first aid to someone else. Perhaps a mobile phone to dial 999 ambulance would be better advice
This came up on our course and we were advised that if someone is lying on the road (or anywhere for that matter) bleeding profusely, unconscious, in shock etc etc, as long as you use recognised first aid princilpes and techniques and continually talk through what you are doing - for the benefit of the casualty and others, the chances of any negative comeback are negligible, and usually there would be witnesses to state you were trying your best to help and weren't doing anything wrong. Although saying that, I understand exactly where you are coming from
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slefLX - Thank goodness someone got enough gumption to get up and do a first aid course. There's no payment for rendering assistance on a golf course or by the roadside or by the side of a river - and you might not even get thanked for it in the heat of the moment, but at least you have the satisfaction of knowing you did SOMETHING and may well keep someone alive long enough for help to arrive and relieve you of your task. And you'll be pretty chuffed when you get home and realise what you just did. Good on yer.
KB.
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Thanks KB but I'm afraid it's confession time now, it wasn't my own get-up-and-go that made me do the course. It's something I've been thinking about for ages but we were offered it in work and I grabbed the chance. I am glad I've done it and when it comes up for renewal time, even if work doesn't offer it I think I'll have the motivation to go out and find my own renewal/refresher course.
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Well, at least you admitted that, but did it. Whilst it's obvious that refreshers help your skills, you don't have to do them religiously and you will hopefully find that, as and when your skills are needed, you do the right thing having dug up your training from a dusty corner of your brain.
Even a flick through the First aid manual will remind you of the basics of CPR (i.e. the numbers of compressions and breaths - and that seems to change every other year too).
What's important is that you have enough of the basics and enough confidence to enable you to do something - and that's the point at issue here. You're *extremely* unlikely to to anything to make somones's condition worse and far more likely to stabilise someone long enough for help to arrive. You don't need to be reminded of the the damage caused to vital organs during the time taken between making a phone call and for an ambulance to arrive, if there's no pulse and no breathing and blood tipping out of an open wound on one side and skin peeling from a burn on the other. You have the ability to do something about all of those problems. What a gift! And it's so easy!
KB.
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KB,
First of all, it sounds like I have done exactly the same First Aid Course that you praise so highly in the above post.
Secondly, I didn't say I wouldn't help, but that I would be apprehensive. In the first place because we were advised NOT to move anyone who may have neck or back injuries because one may do more harm than good. If, as you say, someone was bleeding, or clothing/car was on fire then naturally one would do ones best but the point I was making was that jumping in without the necessary knowledge or expertise is not necessarily the best thing to do.If after checking as best one could that lives were not immediately in danger then ringing for the paramedics (who are highly trained and do not themselves "leap in" before doing extensive checks) may indeed be the best thing to do.
I am a little offended that you took my "apprehensive" to mean that I would stand and watch your family die. As for your last four words "And it's so easy" - I think many paramedics and doctors (and laymen)would disagree.
Hoping that none of us have to use these skills,
PhilW
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Not so sure that inferring that I "lacked the courage" to do anything was not reading too much into my message either.
Yours
PhilW
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KB,
You're over the top and making it personal. Please don't.
Mark.
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Mark, If by personal, you mean my reference to....... "sincerely hope that you're not the only bystander standing over me (or one of your relatives) if my/their life's ebbing away"....... then, yes it's personal and if that's improper then I accept that and if you wish to snip it I'll know why.
If being "over the top" means I'm sorry/sad/annoyed to read Phil's initial comments and respond with an element of feeling then so be it and I'll 'stop' as requested and this will be my final note on the subject.
Phil has replied to my comments and I readily acknowledge the points he makes..........I'm pleased you did the course, Phil, and if you had mentioned this in your first post and had expanded as you did in your reply, then my response would have been very different.
My words "It's so easy" refer to the simplicity of rendering the basics i.e. the stemming of serious blood loss, the cooling of burns, the avoidance of further injury by getting someone to stop traffic coming round a bend and ploughing in to the casualty and even the application of CPR - after having done a course. The more advanced treatment is indeed specialist and not easy and I'm not suggesting otherwise. I'm just saying 'Basic' and that can be so effective and yet many die due to the lack of it.
If I've offended you, then I apologise, particularly in view of the additional info you give in your reply which enables me (and others) to see things differently from the initial reading of your first post.
KB.
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