Often, being proactive in life is just a good idea. Take for instance preparing for worst case scenarios; sometimes this gets a bad name. Why? I’m not sure. Preparation for most things, as a basic concept, seems pretty smart. Our company, and me personally, have always subscribed to good preparedness. Whether we’re talking about maintaining our vehicles for safety and peace of mind or for preparing for roadside emergencies.
When visiting with our customers, friends, and neighbors’, winter is always something to prepare for, especially with your car, truck or SUV. Winter weather is a challenge in many parts of the country but this year it has left a lot of people literally stranded in their own homes for days (even weeks) without basic utilities. And for the record, we might think ‘preppers’ can be extreme but maybe they’re on to something. Many that had prepared for bad times, are in a better place than those that did not with their homes, cars and families. We can’t prepare for everything; but some things we can.
Preparing for winter and cold weather driving, which we’ve written on before, can be a very good thing if, worst case scenario, you slide off the road or get stuck for an extended stay in your vehicle. If you take 5 minutes to clean some of the unnecessary ‘junk’ out of your trunk, here are a few easy items to have with you that might save your life or certainly make a bad winter driving day less stressful. These items include:
Now if there’s anything else of comfort you might want to include, be my guest …just don’t overload the trunk where nothing else fits and more weight means lower gas mileage. Most emergency roadside kits should fit into a relatively small milk crate or similar 1 to 2 cubic foot container and not overtake your trunk.
And let us not forget the most crucial elements here for NOT getting stranded in a vehicle in the first place — safe driving, a well-maintained vehicle, and rolling on tires with at least 4-5/32” of good tread on them. Don’t forget to check that spare tire to insure it’s in good shape too.
NOTE: In Colorado, make sure if you’re going into the mountains, you need snow tires or chains when CDOT (during bad weather) mandates it (or risk facing stiff fines…and getting stuck!).
Preparedness ain’t just for “preppers”. It can help keep us all a little safer, less anxious & less vulnerable during bad or unforeseen situations whether in your car, at home or elsewhere. Stay safe out there.
Al Pridemore, Co-owner
PRIDE AUTO CARE