Your car plays three roles in an emergency. It's your way out if you have to leave. It's a charging station and a radio when the power is off at home. And on a winter road, it can become your shelter for a few hours. A small kit that lives in the boot covers all three.
Keep the tank at least half full
Four of the 24 national guides we compiled (Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Greece) say to keep your fuel tank at least half full. Sweden lists fuel in your car tank, or a charged battery for an electric car. The reason is simple: petrol pumps need electricity. In a large power cut, filling stations close, and the queues at the ones that stay open are long. Slovakia's guide lists not being able to refuel among the first things to go wrong in a crisis.
Make it a habit: fill up when the gauge reaches half, not when the light comes on.
The car as a charger and a radio
A car with fuel is also a charging station. Thirteen guides list a phone charger and car charger. A USB car charger lets you top up phones and a power bank while you drive. Run the engine outdoors only, never in a garage, and don't sit idling for hours to charge one phone.
The car radio is a backup source of official information. Slovakia's blackout advice says specifically: don't forget the car radio.
The everyday kit
Many countries require some items by law, such as a warning triangle, a high-visibility vest or a first-aid kit. Check your country's rules. Beyond that, keep:
- A first-aid kit. All 24 guides list one for the home. The UK includes one in its winter car kit.
- A torch, with spare batteries. A head torch leaves your hands free to change a wheel.
- A phone charger for the car.
- High-visibility clothing and jump leads. Both are in the UK's winter car kit.
- Water and something to eat that keeps: ration bars, nuts, crackers.
- A paper map of your region. Six guides list one, because phones and navigation may be down.
- Some cash in small notes, for fuel or tolls when card machines don't work.
The winter kit
The UK's Be Ready campaign recommends a winter car kit in case you get stuck in wintry weather. Its list:
- A torch and an in-car phone charger
- Warm clothes and blankets
- High-visibility clothing and jump leads
- Food and drink
- A shovel for snow
- A first-aid kit
Add a foil survival blanket for each seat. Eight guides list them: they fold to wallet size and keep body heat in. Gloves, a hat and an ice scraper make sense too.
If you're stuck in snow
Slovakia's advice for heavy snow is to limit car journeys, because of the risk of getting stuck, and to keep cleared roads free for the emergency services. If you are stuck:
- Stay with the car. It's easier for rescuers to find, and it keeps the wind off.
- Put on extra layers and wrap up in blankets before you get cold.
- If you run the engine for heat, do it in short spells and keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow. A blocked exhaust can fill the car with carbon monoxide.
- Open a window slightly for fresh air.
Driving in floods, storms and heat
- Flooded roads. Slovakia says don't drive through a flooded road if you don't know how deep the water is, and get out quickly if water starts to fill the car.
- Storms. Slovakia advises not parking under trees or next to weak buildings.
- Heat. Never leave children or animals in a parked car. Slovakia's heatwave advice says this in so many words.
- An accident involving dangerous goods. Slovakia says to stop without blocking the whole road, turn off the engine, protect your airways and leave the area quickly. Don't go near the damaged vehicle, and call 112.
If you have to evacuate by car
Keep your grab bag by the door, not in the car, so it doesn't get stolen or cook in summer. But know how quickly you could load it, along with water, pets and medicines. Poland asks you to park vehicles somewhere safe before a flood without blocking the roads. Mark on your paper map where you'd go, and an alternative route in case the main one is closed.
Check it twice a year
When you check your home kit, check the car too: replace water and food, test the torch, swap summer and winter items, and check the first-aid kit's dates. Our checklist covers the rest of your household's supplies.