Vehicle Safety: Winter Safety Kit Edition

Winter driving can be very unpredictable. Since ’tis the season for visiting family and friends, it is a great time to update your vehicle emergency kit for the winter! Even if you have Honda Roadside Assistance, or a great GPS, snowy and icy roads can overtake even the most prepared drivers. By tossing a few extra items into your vehicle emergency kit, you can stay warm and comfortable until help arrives.

A basic vehicle emergency kit should have the following:

  • bottled water
  • a First Aid kit
  • a flashlight
  • a whistle
  • a blanket
  • a small tool kit
  • non-perishable snacks like trail mix, or granola bars
  • flares
  • jumper cables
  • a tow rope
  • a list of your emergency contact information, and the phone number for your roadside assistance service

To get ready for whatever winter may bring, add the following to your vehicle emergency kit:

  • an extra pair of socks, warm gloves, and a hat
  • road salt
  • a candle, tin can, and waterproof matches: place the candle in the tin, and light it to generate warmth if you are stuck in the cold
  • a collapsable shovel
  • an ice scraper
  • handwarmers
  • antifreeze and windshield washer fluid
  • an extra set of warm clothes
  • an orange flag, or emergency light that can be placed on your vehicle to draw attention to it in low visibility

If your vehicle gets stuck in the snow, and you are waiting for help to arrive remember to stay warm, visible, and safe. It is important to make sure that your vehicle’s exhaust pipe stays clear, in case of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have been outside of your vehicle, and your clothes get wet from the snow, you should change into dry clothes as soon as you can. Wet clothing can make you lose body heat even faster in extremely cold weather.

If you are looking for more winter driving tips, click here!

Click here for the Government of Canada’s list of tips for winter safety!

Click here for information about winter tires!

If you would like to book a service appointment, click here!

If you would like to shop for tires and wheels, click here!

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