Your first mistake was probably letting the dog drive. (Getty)
The Boy Scouts had it figured out from page one of the guidebook: Be prepared. And if you drive a car, you're probably not as prepared as you should be. Things can and do happen, whether it's a flat tire on the side of the road, a dead battery in a remote area or even a sudden deer appearance that sends you swerving into a lake. Do you have everything you need to handle — and, yes, survive — such situations? A few strategic items can make all the difference, so here's your guide to the best car gear for emergency preparedness.
There are two ways you can go about this. First, you can take the piecemeal approach, buying just the items you consider essential or don't already have. Second, you can buy an all-in-one emergency roadside kit. The latter is the quicker, easier way to go — one purchase and you're done — but you get no control over what's actually in the assistance kit. It may exclude items you want, and it may have cheap, less effective versions of important tools.
I'll start with a kit, then dive into the piecemeal items you may want to consider — some of which aren't even in the kit, just saying. Although I haven't tried every product personally, each one earned top marks from thousands of Amazon customers.
Update, Aug. 6, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability. We added a few new picks and replaced a few that were out of stock.
It's not fun to think about, but in mere seconds you could find yourself trapped in a car that's on fire or underwater. Two things might block your chance of escape: a stuck seat belt and a door that won't open. Yikes.
The Resqme (res-q-me, get it?) combines a seat-belt cutting tool and a tempered-glass-window breaker, the latter designed to shatter a car window with just a simple jab. Stick one on your keychain or someplace else that's easily accessible from the driver's seat, and you'll have two less things to worry about.
Is that tire punctured or does it just have low tire pressure? Either way, it needs inflating, and this portable air compressor will get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Rechargeable and battery-powered, this gizmo includes a digital pressure gauge readout so you can see the current pressure and then set it to where it needs to be. Once the air pump hits that pressure, it automatically shuts off. Plus, it doubles as a power bank and triples as a flashlight. I've tested this and found it a superb accessory.
It's the rare flashlight-needed situation that wouldn't be improved by a headlamp. That's because a flashlight requires a hand to hold it; otherwise you have to put it on the ground, try to angle the beam where it needs to go, keep it from rolling away, etc.
With a headlamp, all you need is a head for hands-free illumination. This one has a dozen different lighting modes (wide, narrow, red, etc.), a motion-sensing on-off switch (just wave your hand in front of it) and a waterproof design. Plus you get a pair of them, just in case your helper needs light too.
It may not have everything, but this roadside emergency kit has a lot: jumper cables, repair tools, a basic first-aid kit and much more. Indeed, there are some things in here I wouldn't have thought to pack, including a safety whistle, a folding shovel (which is also a saw, hoe and pickax) and safety gloves.
You also get a hand-crank flashlight, roadside reflective triangles, a reflective vest, an emergency blanket and a tow strap. But you'll have to look elsewhere (like below) for things like flares, phone chargers and a tire inflator.
Whether you're changing a flat tire or need to attract the attention of a passing driver, it's hard to beat a road flare — especially one with a ring of 12 bright LEDs and nine different illumination modes. These ingenious warning-wheels are brightly colored, magnetic, rechargeable and waterproof. There's also an integrated hook you can use if there's no convenient magnetic surface. Better still, there are three additional LEDs up top for flashlight use. This is the four-pack, but you can also get them in sets of three, six, eight or 12.
Your phone isn't much good for calling for help if it runs out of juice, and if you're stranded at night, the last thing you'll want to do is devote more battery power to its flashlight. This high-capacity power bank includes built-in cables (compatible with pretty much every mobile device there is), a Qi wireless charging pad and a dual-LED flashlight — one that's almost certainly brighter than what's in your phone. It even has built-in solar panels for recharging on the go.
If you're stuck fixing a tire or pitching a tent in the dark of night, you'll be happy to have a lantern you can set down anywhere. This ruggedized water-resistant model shines a full 360 degrees and doubles as a power bank: Just plug in your phone or any other mobile device that needs juice. It also has five modes of operation.
A dead car battery can be a minor inconvenience or a life-threatening danger. To make sure it's always the former, keep a portable jump starter in your safety kit. Way better than jumper cables (because you don't need a second vehicle), this handy power brick can start just about any vehicle — even big pickup trucks.
It has an LCD screen so you can see exactly what's happening, power-wise, and USB ports for charging your phone or other devices. There's also a flashlight, compass and carrying case.
Worth noting: Amazon is home to several zillion of these things, all from unknown brands. DBPower may not be a household name, but they've been around a lot of years, and I've used several of their products.
Whether you're changing a flat tire or need to attract the attention of a passing driver, it's hard to beat a road flare — especially one with a ring of 12 bright LEDs and nine different illumination modes.
These ingenious warning-wheels are brightly colored, magnetic, rechargeable and waterproof. There's also an integrated hook you can use if there's no convenient magnetic surface. Better still, there are three additional LEDs up top for flashlight use. This is the three-pack, but you can also get them in a set of six or 12.
Whether it's to learn what's going on with the weather or just keep you company while you wait for a tow truck, it's a good idea to have an emergency radio on hand. This one tunes not only AM/FM stations, but also NOAA weather bands.
Just as important, it stocks a 10,000-mAh battery that can be recharged via USB-C, a built-in solar panel or a hand crank. It has dual flashlights and can also emit an emergency siren along with a flashing red light.
As an added bonus, the radio comes with three emergency blankets, a rechargeable headlamp and a paracord wristband. Pretty impressive for $38.
A tire inflator (see above) won't do you much good if you've picked up a nail; you need to repair that hole before you can get back on the road. This kit has everything you're likely to need, including a pliers to remove the nail, a reaming tool to enlarge the hole and 20 repair plugs to stuff into it.
I haven't road-tested this myself, but the kit earned an impressive 4.7-star average rating from over 2,700 buyers.
Even the most minor car-related incident can leave you with cuts, scrapes or other injuries. This 275-piece kit may seem like overkill, but it does have a few extras not included with more basic first-aid bundles.
In addition to the usual assortment of adhesive bandages and anti-septic wipes, you get burn treatments, an ice pack, even tweezers and a tourniquet. (It's up to you to throw a bottle of pain-relief meds in there, just in case.)
