Updated · Safety on the road
For the heat
A summer breakdown in DFW can mean waiting on hot pavement with no air conditioning. Pack for that before anything else.
- Water, at least one bottle per person, swapped out regularly
- A sunshade for the windshield
- A hat, sunscreen and a small towel
- A charged battery bank for your phone
For getting help and being seen
Phones die and screens crack. A card with numbers written on it still works when the phone doesn't.
- A phone charging cable and a car charger
- A flashlight with spare batteries
- Reflective triangles
- A bright or reflective vest
- A paper card with emergency contacts and your plate number
For the car itself
Even when you plan to call for help, a few basics make the job go smoother.
The last item matters more than people think. Without the wheel-lock key, even a simple flat change stops cold. Keep it in the glove box or with the jack, and tell anyone who borrows the car where it is. If it's lost, a technician can remove the locking lug nuts, but knowing where the key is saves a step.
- Jumper cables or a portable jump starter
- A tire pressure gauge
- Work gloves and a few rags
- Your spare tire, jack and lug wrench, checked so you know they're there
- The wheel-lock key, if your wheels have locking lug nuts
For cold snaps and storms
Freezes don't come often in North Texas, but when ice hits, traffic can stop for a long time. A blanket and some food go a long way when you can't run the engine.
- A blanket
- A rain poncho
- An ice scraper
- Snacks that keep
- A basic first aid kit
Protect the kit from the heat
A closed car in a Texas summer gets hot enough to hurt some of what's in it. Check the storage temperature on a portable jump starter; some lithium packs aren't rated for a cabin that hot, so the trunk or the house may be the better spot. Keep aerosol cans out of the car in summer.
Go through the kit twice a year, when the clocks change. Test the flashlight, check the spare tire's pressure, and replace anything you used.