Make an Emergency Car Kit for Winter

It’s the time of year when the weather gets cold and the roads get icy or snowy. Winter is almost here, so now is a good time to create an emergency winter car kit and prepare your home for winter before the bad weather hits!

First things first, you want to have the right supplies on hand in case you get stranded due to hazardous weather conditions.  Create a basic emergency kit for your car that includes at least one day’s worth of food and safety supplies.  For your home, make sure you have enough food supplies for a week and a battery-powered radio to keep current on weather conditions. Other important items to include:

• Drinking water
• Ready-to-eat food or snacks
• Canned food that doesn’t need cooking
• Non-electric can opener
• Prescription medicine as needed 
• First Aid kit
• Road flares
• Bag of cat litter or sand to add traction on roadways/walkways
• Battery-powered lamps or flashlights (with fresh batteries)
• A shovel for digging out if stuck in snow
• A windshield scraper to remove ice buildup

Are you prepared at home when bad weather hits?  Here are a few things to put on your home’s winter storm checklist:

• Wrap outside spigots in an old towel or t-shirt to prevent them from freezing and cracking.
• Leave water taps slightly open so they drip to prevent frozen pipes.
• Open kitchen cabinet doors under the sink to keep the pipes warm.
• Have an alternate heat source in case the power goes out.  If it’s the fireplace, make sure you have plenty of dry firewood.
• Never use a barbeque grill or propane heater inside your home. They generate toxic fumes that can sicken or kill!

The most important thing you can do?  Be prepared!  A benefit to winter storms is that you generally have plenty of warning that one is on the way.  Don’t wait until the roads are icy and dangerous.  Get your car emergency kit in your trunk, supplies packed, your pipes protected, and a backup plan in case of a power outage.  

And make sure that you have great homeowners insurance to protect you from winter’s blast!  We can help with that. 

Call SAV-ON at 888-867-2866 or get a free auto quote today!