What are you thinking about right now? We doubt you are thinking about a car emergency kit. Nobody thinks about a car emergency kit, even when they are ready to take a road trip. And it’s too late when you are broke down on the side of the road. When this does happen, you will wish you had packed one to be sure.

Having a membership to AAA or similar auto club often lulls us into a false sense of security about having a breakdown. The ugly truth is that vehicle breakdowns don’t always occur on bust highways, well-lit streets, in perfect weather and in places where you get great cell phone service. If you break down in less than ideal conditions, you will want a roadside emergency kit.

And just because your car is newer or you just had it serviced doesn’t guarantee you won’t break down. The more remote places you break down and the more inclement the weather, the more important it is that you have an emergency road kit.

Suffolk Auto Glass, your windshield repair service on Long Island, offers you these must-haves you need in your car emergency kit.

Cell Phone Charger

You may already have a cell phone charger in your car, but you still need to put one in your emergency kit just in case. It would be a good idea to get a charger that is solar powered as well.

First Aid Kit

You should have a first aid kit with an assortment of bandages, plenty of gauze and tape, aspirin, antiseptic ointment and any medications you might need for certain family members.

Jumper Cables

People often leave for a road trip without a set of jumper cables, they often just assume that somebody else will have a set in their car. Unfortunately, since many people feel this way, there are a lot of people on the road without jumper cables. Be smart and be the one who has a set in their car at all times.

Flashlight

You should have an LED flashlight or two in your emergency kit. The flashlight you choose should be waterproof and have fresh batteries in it. You also need to have backup batteries.

Fire Extinguisher

This is a little more complicated than you might think. You need to have a class B fire extinguisher in your car at all times. Class B fire extinguishers are for fires that involve flammable liquids like gasoline and kerosene. Class C fire extinguishers are for electrical fires.

Water

You will want to ensure you have several bottles of drinking water in your emergency kit. If you break down in the summer and in a very hot place, you will be glad you have water to drink.

Tools

There is no need to load up your tool chest, but a few common tools should be a part of your emergency car kit.

Duct Tape

Most people are inclined to believe that duct tape can fix almost everything. Even still, it has a ton of handy uses.

Before taking off on your road trip, pack your emergency kit and bring your car to Suffolk Auto Glass to ensure your windshield isn’t damaged.