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Top 10 Must have things when stuck in your car for a long time

Team AckoJan 17, 2024

Road trips are fun. Joyous rides with friends and family are a much-needed break from the daily routine. But certain situations, like heavy traffic on national highways, landslides in ghats, extreme fog, etc., can result in you and other passengers being stuck in your car for long hours.

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Top 10 Car Essentials

To ensure decent comfort in such a situation, we have compiled a list of things you can always carry around in your car.

Top 10 Car Essentials

#1 First aid kit

A basic first-aid kit comprises of gauze dressings, crêpe rolled bandages, safety pins, disposable gloves, tweezers, scissors, cleansing wipes, thermometer, antiseptic cream and distilled water. Keep the first aid kit updated and sterile at all times.

#2 Medicines

If you are suffering from an illness and are on a regular dose, be sure to keep one extra set of medicines in your car all the time. Make sure to regularly check the tablets, capsules, and sprays (if any) for any contamination or leakage. The intense heat of India’s tropical climate could damage the medicines if left unattended for a long time.

#3 Food

Food items having a long shelf life are the best options to carry around in your car. Energy bars, cup noodles, dry fruits, etc. make for fulfilling short meals. Hard candies also stay fresh for a long time. Desi snacks like chakli, chivda packets, and khakhra also have long shelf lives and do not get soiled quickly.

#4 Flashlights

Having a flashlight handy in a situation where you are struck in extreme traffic or when stranded will be helpful. Extra light will always be needed if you are in an area with no streetlights or if you run out of fuel. Also, if you need to attend nature’s call, a handy flashlight would be a ray of light (literally!) at night.

#5 Car Cell Phone Charger

Being stuck in your car for hours directly means a dying cell phone battery. Be sure that you carry around a charger compatible with your cell phone. You would want to keep in touch with the outside world through your phone or simply use it to kill time.

#6 Money

Always carry sufficient amount of cash with you. This holds true, irrespective of you being stuck in a car or not. You could need cash for a number of reasons like – when you are stuck in traffic in a busy area with food stalls or pharmacies.

#7 Documents

If an insurance policy or a driving license was the first thing that came to your mind, then these are not the only documents you need. Apart from a car insurance policy, you also need to carry Registration Certificate (RC), Driving License (DL) and Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates while driving.

Sometimes when you are stuck in heavy traffic, police officials may roam around patrolling the area. It is possible for traffic police to randomly demand documents like driving license or car insurance policy. Nowadays, it is possible to quickly buy or renew car insurance online. Also, if you had bought car insurance online, and do not have a copy handy, you can show the soft copy to the officer. It is 100% valid.

#8 Fire Extinguisher

For obvious reasons like a fire breaking out in your car, you should always carry a fire extinguisher while driving. This strong container can also be used as a self-defense tool if required. It can easily knock someone out of consciousness.

#9 Cushions

Having soft cushions will provide some amount of comfort when being seated in the same position for a long time. Throw in some soft cushions in your car when you set out for a ride.

#10 Blankets or Sheets

In cold temperatures, carrying blankets will comfort passengers like children or elderly people. If in a situation where you need to remain in the car for a long time, simply cover yourself with some cozy sheets.

Why Is the above List Important?

If you have the list of things mentioned above in your car, it will be easier to survive for the time being stuck. Just like an online car insurance policy provides financial support, the list is an insurance against a bad situation when you need to remain in your car for a long time.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on industry experience and several secondary sources on the internet; and is subject to changes. Please go through the applicable policy wordings for updated ACKO-centric content and before making any insurance-related decisions.

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