Ordinary maintenance or emergency management. Getting ready to help drive away stresses. Here are the accessories that you should keep close at hand. A couple, on the contrary, are mandatory…
The reflective jacket
Let’s start with what is obligatory (then we will see what is optional, but useful: the reflective jacket with reflective material.) As the Highway Code says, it must be worn by drivers of vehicles stationary on the roadway, out of the inhabited areas, at night or in conditions of poor visibility, when you set the triangle after a breakdown or to replace a tire or in other cases still. The obligation also applies to passengers, if they get out of the car. The driver who “forgets” to wear the jacket is liable to a fine ranging from 41 to 169 Euros and a 2-point cut on the driver’s license If, on the other hand, the passenger is caught, outside the car, without a jacket or a reflective vest, the penalty is only pecuniary. So it can be worn before leaving the car.
The triangle
In the safety kit required by law, in addition to the reflective jacket, there is the triangle. It must be exposed (at least 50 meters from the car), both during the day and at night, in case you stop on the roadway due to a breakdown. The absence or non-use of the triangle involves a fine from 36 to 148 Euros, in addition to the deduction of two points from the license.
Power cables
The low battery is one of the most common problems in a car, so the power cables become unavoidable, because they help to “resuscitate” the car and get back on the road.
The spare wheel in perfect condition
Whether the car is equipped with the “wheel” or a real spare wheel, it makes little difference: they must be in perfect condition. the right pressure. Whole. Speech different – but up to a certain point – for cars equipped as standard, instead of the spare wheel, the repair kit, containing a compressor, the can of sealing liquid and everything needed to make a temporary repair. From time to time it is necessary to check the kit to check the efficiency of the components.
A first aid kit
You never know when a first aid kit might be needed, so keeping one in the car is always a smart move. Hoping, of course, never having to use it. They are easily found, from supermarkets to the same service stations, and can be more or less “rich”. It goes without saying that this kit must be kept under control: something can be scarce. Something can expire…
A tool kit
In case you need to make small repairs, have a basic tool kit – wrench, pliers, alien wrenches, screwdriver, pipe wrench and cable ties – will allow you to solve the situation quickly and easily.
A scraper
The scraper only serves in winter, it’s true: when you find the car covered with snow and ice. But it is good to always keep it in your car, because the alternative is to regret not having it in case of need. Woe is to use hot water or alcohol to defrost the glass: the thermal shock could have serious consequences…
A torch
Today all smart phones have an app for the flashlight, but certainly none of these can beat the efficiency and functions of a real flashlight. Which can serve on many occasions, even read maps and documents in the dark.
The fire extinguisher
It may seem exaggerated, but it is not. On the market there are facts for the car, small and easily scalable. The cause of a fire can be an accident or an electrical problem or the overheating of the catalytic converter. It is best to keep it handy, under the driver’s seat. If this is not possible, it can be kept in the trunk, but fixed for good, so that it is easily reachable when needed and does not fly on all sides when not needed.
Work gloves
From the replacement of a rubber to the assembly of the chains, to the control of the oil level (that forces to put the hands in the motor to reach the appropriate rod). There are many opportunities to protect yourself (not just from dirt). There are many types and prices for work gloves.