A car breakdown is not a pleasant event, but if it happens it is useful to have some useful tools that allow you to resume the trip or, at least, to mitigate the consequences of the problem. Of course, there are situations when it is necessary to request roadside assistance intervention and other cases in which a little bit of "elbow grease" may be enough to get back on track. In any case, there is a rule of prudence: never do something for which you are not prepared. But, at least, you will always need the following seven items on board your vehicle.
Torch
What to do if a problem, even a small one, arises in the dark hours? Or, if we have to look for something that has fallen in areas that are not very visible in the cabin or in the compartments? In these cases, a flashlight is of great help: the modern led ones have good power and are space-saving, there are multipurpose ones that, besides the white light, have a flashing orange light, which is useful to signal your presence on the road. It is even better if they are magnets, so as to fix them to the bodywork to operate outside as well.
Gloves
They are essential for different situations, for example, in winter, if you have to mount snow chains, an operation for which a pair of robust multi-purpose gloves is essential to work safely. But protecting your hands can be useful in other situations, even during the summer holidays: from loading luggage and equipment to replacing a punctured rubber and, still, in small maintenance operations.
Fire extinguisher
Fire can be extinguished by a fire extinguisher present on board, useful to tame flames that are not too extensive or at least to contain them while waiting for the firefighters, who should still be called for obvious safety reasons. On the market there are models with 1 kg of powder, compact enough to be placed in the car.
Battery cables
They are indispensable especially with the low temperatures that are enemies of the car battery, especially those that are no longer new. Even in general, there is a risk that after a night or a long stop, the car will not start. So the help of a good-hearted driver who agrees to connect his battery with the broken vehicle is crucial. To do it, the cables are, therefore, necessary and should be kept in perfect condition.
Repair kit
As for tools, the standard equipment of a vehicle is quite basic, a screwdriver or little more. Therefore, it is better to have a kit that contains a small assortment of keys, allen wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers, so that, if necessary, you have everything concentrated in a single container, space-saving and useful.
Can
It shouldn't happen, but sometimes it does. Running out of petrol is one of the most annoying things that could happen to a driver and calling the tow truck because your car has remained "dry" is expensive and (slightly) humiliating. It is better to have on board something with which you can recover an amount of fuel necessary to reach the closest petrol station. Both rigid, plastic or metal cans with a spout are on sale as well as "bag" cans that occupy the space of a folded envelope, although can be as big as eight or ten litres.
Rescue kit
All the accessories described so far are essential and must be kept on board the vehicle. When using them, it is inevitable to run the risk of minor injuries or scratches: nothing to worry about since it can be remedied by having a first aid kit in the car; patches of various sizes, disinfectant, and some cotton to apply it are the must-haves. Again, even in this case, we need to make it efficient.
